Preserving Democracy One Conversation at a Time
Maine Community Sets an Example
Many concerned about the preservation of democracy are shouting their warnings into a social media void. There is no lack of passion or determination, but according to the polls, this form of communication doesn’t appear to be terribly effective. In fact, it may even hurt the cause.
When passions are high and people feel worn down, our willingness to listen and engage in more thoughtful forms of communication can deteriorate just when they’re needed the most. And to be fair, it’s probably not reasonable for us to expect others to open their minds and consider new ideas, unless we’re willing to do the same.
That’s why we’re impressed by the efforts of a community member in a small town in Maine who has recently started to host and facilitate monthly gatherings designed to engage people in thoughtful and respectful conversations centered on this topic: The Preservation of Democracy and our Republic and the 2024 US Presidential Election. Elliot Benjamin, Ph.D. is the community member organizing the meetings, and he is also a volunteer with The Union.
The meetings are held at a local library and all members of the public are invited to attend. The first meeting went well and this follow-up note was received by the organizer:
Thank you for last night's session with the surprisingly diverse group of concerned citizens. It was pretty amazing that folks with such different takes on what's broken and how to fix it assembled and listened with curiosity and respect to one another! I was very interested to be in the company of 2 conspiracy theorists, 2 [Trump] voters, and 6 progressive Dems, all exchanging views in trust and open dialogue. Thank you for putting this together. [We] are interested in continuing to attend.
Wondering what you can do to help preserve democracy? Listening and engaging in thoughtful conversations is a great place to start!
If you’d like to learn more about how you can host a meeting like this in your community, please join us via Zoom on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 at 8:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm PT. You can sign up to attend here.
Information submitted by Elliot Benjamin, Ph.D., a volunteer with The Union
Note: The views and opinions expressed by volunteer contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions of The Union, a single-issue organization that welcomes all and is dedicated to protecting democracy.
If you’d like to help defend democracy in the US, we invite you to join The Union.