In these turbulent times, defined by ideological chasms, clashes over social justice, and a pandemic intersecting with misinformation, Americans seem hopelessly divided along fault lines of politics, race, religion, class, and culture. Yet not everyone is accepting the status quo. In Bridge Builders: Bringing People Together in a Polarized Age , journalist Nathan Bomey paints a forensic portrait of Americans who are spanning gaping divides between people of difference. From clergy fighting racism in Charlottesville to a former Republican congressman engaging conservatives on climate change and Appalachian journalists restoring social trust with the public, these countercultural leaders all believe in the power of forging lasting connections to bring about profound change. Though the blueprints for political, social, and cultural bridges vary widely, bridge builders have much in common—and we have much to learn from them. In this book, Bomey dissects the transformational ways in which bridge builders are combatting polarization by pursuing reconciliation, rejecting misinformation, and rethinking the principle of compromise.
Оглавление
Nathan Bomey. Bridge Builders
CONTENTS
Guide
Pages
Dedication
Bridge Builders. Bringing People Together in a Polarized Age
Prologue: The Better Angels of Our Nature
Introduction
Notes
Part I Forging a Path toward Reconciliation
Notes
1 From Blindness to Sight
Notes
2 From Human to Human
Notes
3 From Hating to Healing
Notes
Part II Reconnecting with Truth
Notes
4 From Fiction to Fact
Notes
5 From Caricature to Nuance
Notes
6 From Misunderstanding to Understanding
Notes
Part III Redrafting the Blueprint of Compromise
Notes
7 From Denying to Believing
Notes
8 From Rigidity to Flexibility
Notes
9 From Discord to Collaboration
Notes
Conclusion
Notes
Acknowledgments
Interviews
POLITY END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
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To Grandpa R.D., who embodied the essence of bridge building
The fact that we increasingly can’t hold fruitful conversations with people who aren’t like us – which is the key to finding common ground and thus achieving political, social, and cultural progress – illustrates the depths of our civic crisis. Productive discourse in spite of our disagreements is “the arch stone of democracy” – it’s what holds us together – according to David Blankenhorn, cofounder of Braver Angels, a nonprofit that teaches Americans from different backgrounds how to communicate. “Conversation is the very heart and soul of self-government,” Blankenhorn said. “It always has been. You can’t run a democracy without that.”
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I’m here to tell you that they’re out there. I visited them. I talked with them. And I believe that we can – we must – learn from them.
They are not Pollyannaish. They are not impervious to discouragement. They are not flawless.
