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Think Again: Fri, Jan 23, 7:30 pm: What's Red, Black and Blue, and Derided all over?

Political Discourse.
Here's How We Can Change It.  


 Friday, Jan 23, 7:30 pm  |  Dialogue Leader: Jacob Hess

 Mark & Elizabeth England's home at 1194 South 500 East in Salt Lake City.
Late-comers, please use the back door. 

Discussion:
Across the country, a dialogue and deliberation movement is afoot, evidenced by the thousands of people joining National Coalition of Dialogue and Deliberation. Despite the growing animosity between socio-political groups in the U.S., a budding liberal-conservative or "transpartisan" dialogue effort continues to unfold nationally. After reviewing successful red-blue efforts across the country, we'll then focus our time brainstorming ways to expand liberal-conservative dialogue in Utah. As part of this discussion, participants will be introduced to the Village Square and invited to become founding members of a new chapter starting in Salt Lake City, with Mayor Becker's support.  

Dialogue Leader:
Jacob Hess is a Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction teacher and co-founder of the non-profit, All of Life (www.alloflife.org), which recently released a free online mindfulness-based class for those facing serious mental and emotional challenges (see Mindweather 101). During his PhD program at the University of Illinois, Jacob helped develop and co-facilitate a liberal-conservative dialogue course for undergraduates, the first of its kind in the nation. He also conducted research comparing narratives of liberal and conservative citizens and explored citizens' hesitancy to hold batterer's accountable for domestic violence. With Dr. Phil Neisser (State University of New York, Potsdam), Jacob co-authored a book on liberal-conservative dialogue entitled, "You’re Not as Crazy as I Thought (But You’re Still Wrong)" - featured on NPR's This American Life. Since completing his dissertation work on clashing Prozac narratives, Jacob has published 13 peer-reviewed articles. He recently finished a discourse analysis of the conversation about romance in the United States: "Once upon a time, he wasn't feeling it anymore." Jacob is a long-time member of the National Coalition of Dialogue and Deliberation and a current partner with Living Room Conversations. He is currently seeking volunteers and resources to launch a new Village Square chapter in Salt Lake City. Jacob is married to Monique Moore, with two little boys who make sure their daddy smiles at least 9 times a day.
Resources to Delve Into:
If you only have time to read one thing - "Civil discourse that doesn’t taste like broccoli" (2014) - sweet op-ed in the Christian Science Monitor by Liz Joyner, founder of the Village Square.

If you only have time to watch one thing - Jon Stewart on Crossfire (2006) - an event that led to the cancellation of the CNN show. Among other things, this clip highlights the role of "professional polarizers," in socializing us away from our (arguably) innate capacity to open our hearts across difference.

If you want to explore a more famous, historical example of the benefits of red-blue dialogue:
“Talking with the enemy” (2001) Boston Globe story on "secret dialogues" convened by the Public Conversations Project between pro-choice and pro-choice leaders.

If you're in the mood for something more academic - two options:
-"A 'ridiculous idea' or a 'refreshing possibility'? Diverging evaluations of conservative religious/LGBT dialogue"


Questions to Ponder:
  • What experiences have you had - positive or negative - in conversation with your "political opposites"?
  • How many "treasonous friendships" do you have in your life - spanning the major socio-political divides?
  • What are the major barriers or pitfalls to socio-political dialogue generally?
  • Is the culture war inevitable on socio-political questions, or is there a way to find rapprochement on tough issues?
  • What could be done in Utah to expand this kind of work?
  • Do you have an interest in being involved in a Salt Lake City Village Square?  


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