People are working to resolve divisiveness and incivility
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Thanks, Shredder, for calling a recess to disruptive local government meetings ("I call a recess!" Sept. 5)! Almost everyone is tired of divisive rhetoric and chaos and are looking for solutions. National groups like the League of Women Voters (LWV), Braver Angels, and the National Institute for Civil Discourse are working on this issue; hosting workshops on how to "disagree better."
Locally, the LWV Civil Discourse committee is offering a free public forum on How to Effectively Communicate Your Ideas and Be Heard at Public Meetings in the SLO Library Community Room on Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
A blend of presentations and small group discussions, this forum addresses a lot of the problems the Shredder identified. It will provide tips on how to know if you are addressing the right board for your issue, ground rules for public comment, ways to identify disinformation, and improving listening and speaking skills.
Like Shredder says, public meetings are, "slipping into social media-style incivility," and I think one reason for that is there are not enough public forums to discuss issues that divide us outside of government meetings. Talk radio does it to some extent, but it's one way. Pro/con newspaper columns and letters to the editor offer vital perspectives that make us think but are not conversations that allow us to share.
Another group in SLO County is starting a chapter of Braver Angels, a national organization that works to create safe spaces for people who lean "red" and people who lean "blue," to talk about issues and search for common ground. It is hosting its first Zoom conversation, What would it take to make you believe in American elections Again?, for free on Sept. 22 (check Eventbrite).
People are working toward solutions. Things are happening. The tide is turning.
Anne Quinn
Atascadero
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