Together Across Differences Note. When Martha Engber, a Braver Angels member and host of Vigilant Positivity, asked if we could refer her to a conservative and liberal willing to talk about what those terms mean to them, and why it’s important to get beyond those labels and talk to Americans as people, we knew just who to recommend— Steve Saltwick from Texas and Katherine Cadwell from Vermont. Here are a couple of clips from a great interview you can find in its entirety on the Vigilant Positivity YouTube channel.
We found this interview powerful. We especially appreciated the different perspectives that Kathy, a liberal, and Steve, a conservative, are coming from.
They get to the heart of questions such as:
- What does it mean to be a liberal? A conservative? (Beyond the polarized insults and what we hear on the news)
- What do liberals and conservatives have in common?
- Where do they disagree?
- What is the role of relationships in overcoming polarization?
- Can community activism, solving problems at the local level, help overcome our stereotypes of “the other side?”
Both bridging (the work of Braver Angels and the more than 500 organizations involved in the ListenFirst coalition) and local activism (Citizen-Led Solutions) are captured in these clips. Take a look/listen!
In “Would you ever let your daughter marry a Republican!” Kathy talks about the people-to-people relationships we need to mend and regrow. These relationships, like new grass, must not be choked by the weeds.
In “Bike lanes unite Trump and Harris voters,” Steve explains how working on solutions to community problems not only accomplishes meaningful goals, but also transcends toxic politics. “If we can do bike lanes, maybe we can do something in the state, and if we can do something in the state, maybe we can do something nationally.”
Taken together, these clips inspire us – we can solve local issues AND at the same time, strengthen our relationships.