Exact Same Place. Very Different Viewpoints. Chauncey Williams & Maryanne Colter

About this episode

Here’s the bad news about civic renewal: It will not come easily or quickly. Toxic divides won’t be dramatically reduced because of one person or a dramatic election result. Renewal of America’s civic culture will require enormous effort in every state of the nation. Now the good news. Everyone can make a difference. Participation in renewal requires neither money nor fame. It begins with all of us. Locally and often through one-on-one conversations. These personal encounters can change hearts and minds. Our guests are Braver Angels volunteers Maryanne Colter and Chauncey Williams. Both of them embrace civic renewal in their communities. “So much of our politics today is ‘I just want to win’, but we’re not getting anything done because we can’t talk to one another,” says Maryanne, who serves as state coordinator for Braver Angels in Illinois. At workshops and other events, she works to physically bring opposite sides together in the same room. “This is where the magic happens, when we can sit across the table and treat people as human beings.” Chauncey Williams was honored recently at the Braver Angels Convention in Philadelphia for what he’s doing in Colorado. His unique