VANCOUVER, Wash. - During this National Week of Conversation, Americans are exploring how to have civil dialogue about the hot-button and often emotional political issues that divide the country. A Vancouver library that has been trying this out for years is hosting a forum on immigration today.
At the event, people will break into small groups to discuss immigration policy. Ellen Rogers, associate director of the Initiative for Public Deliberation at Washington State University-Vancouver, which is co-sponsoring the event, said these discussions are meant to mend a widening gap in the way people speak to each other.
"You need to come into these sessions with an open mind, and be willing to listen to and speak to other people, and listen to their values and their experiences," she said. "And then, they can help you to have a deeper understanding of the issue."
The forum, called "Coming to America," begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Vancouver Community Library and is free to the public. Last week, the library hosted a panel discussion about how immigration policy works in Clark County. The format of this week's forum is based on guidelines from the National Issues Forums Institute, which also is sponsoring the event.
As branch manager of the library, Jackie Spurlock has overseen discussions like this. Along with healing the divide, she said, people are can learn from each other's points of view.
"The idea is not to get people to change their minds," she said. "It is to help everyone have a broader, maybe a more nuanced, view of the issues that matter in our community."
Past library forum topics include criminal justice and affordable housing. Spurlock said attendees enjoy that there isn't a foregone conclusion about these issues at the meetings, which helps them listen and engage with their neighbors more meaningfully.
National Week of Conversation events are listed online at nationalweekofconversation.org.
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The Republican National Convention is underway in Milwaukee and the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump is a focal point.
Voters and academics also wonder how democracy is being defined amid turbulent political times. There have been calls from both parties to tone down the rhetoric after the weekend shooting. But there is still finger-pointing, with Trump supporters saying he has been "demonized" by those who say he is a threat to democracy. And in condemning violence, many Democrats said Trump has contributed to the hostile environment himself.
Mary Anderson, a voter from Arbor Vitae in northern Wisconsin, agrees the mood has grown overly toxic.
"There's no compromise. No one can talk to one another," Anderson observed. "It's just so polarized and it's getting worse."
Anderson, who has had family members vote Republican, does not like Trump's overall tone, saying he is too focused on grudges. She worries how the Project 2025 plan written by allies in his circle would affect women's civil rights. Trump has tried to distance himself from the plan.
Political scientists said the democracy debate is in a deep stalemate because voters no longer have a shared vision of how it should function.
Mindy Romero, director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California, said it was not always the case. She pointed out voters used to largely agree on upholding democratic institutions in the same way. But she noted people have become disillusioned about politics, leading to more extreme actions in influencing the election process.
"We're at a state right now that even the word 'democracy' means different things, clearly, to different sets of Americans," Romero pointed out.
She explained the shift has led to different voting laws, intimidation at polling sites and, in some cases, violence. To restore healthy debate, she encouraged people to research information from nonpartisan civic engagement centers and secretaries of state. In the end, she added politicians take cues from voters who have yet to fully show they are ready to move on from the current environment.
"Every campaign and set of advisers and political strategists are always thinking about what can they do to win," Romero stressed.
In pursuit of election success, she argued a larger group of politicians will have to strongly disavow hateful ideology, leaving voters with different messaging to latch onto. Romero is part of a group of bipartisan election administrators, scholars and others releasing a new letter demanding less violent rhetoric.
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As the party announced Monday Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, is the vice presidential candidate on the GOP ticket, progressive groups said they are concerned about Senator Vance's voting record and how his decisions have affected the state's working class.
Vance is a venture capitalist with investments in the health care industry.
Desiree Tims, president and CEO of Innovation Ohio, listed Vance's support for a national abortion ban, major corporations, and said some of his health care stances are "concerning."
"While I understand it may be very exciting for our Republican friends on the other side of the aisle, I think the public at large should be concerned and really paying attention to Senator Vance's record -- albeit brief -- in the U.S. Senate, but impactful nonetheless," Tims emphasized.
Vance opposes gender-affirming care for minors and supports denying health coverage to immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Vance, 39, who has been in the U.S. Senate for a year-and-a-half, was announced as Trump's 2024 running mate on Monday afternoon at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Tims stressed now is the time for Ohio voters to educate themselves on the issues and register to vote. So far, more than 2.5 million people have been purged from the state's voter rolls. She noted Ohioans will see likely see a measure on the ballot this fall to reform the state's redistricting process, including replacing Ohio's Redistricting Commission with a voter-elected independent body.
"That's yet another opportunity for Ohioans to weigh in on direct democracy," Tims urged. "And participate on how they want districts to be managed and drawn in this state."
Tims added the last couple of days have been somber and sad for the nation, as well as a call to tone down political rhetoric, as more innocent lives were lost to gun violence.
"The assassination attempt on Donald Trump was certainly scary for folks in attendance and folks watching," Tims acknowledged. "And really just has no place in our democracy, especially when we're talking about political violence."
Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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Gov. Spencer Cox is calling for unity as well as the condemnation of political violence in light of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump over the weekend.
Cox has chaired the National Governors Association and led its "Disagree Better" initiative, which examines the issues surrounding political polarization in the country, while also looking to cultivate solutions and a culture of respect and civility.
On Sunday, Cox took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share his closing statements from the association's recent summer meeting. He said he found his sentiments to be more important and relevant following Saturday's shooting tragedy.
"We can make this a better place," Cox insisted. "We can love each other again. We can disagree without hating each other. We can have passionate debates, and we do."
Cox is among one of many political leaders now calling for unity and for the heated political rhetoric to subside. President Joe Biden described the violence that took place on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, as "sick" and said everyone must condemn the attack.
Political violence experts around the country say it is paramount for elected officials and leaders to continue to make calls for the de-escalation of the charged political rhetoric and climate the country currently finds itself in.
Recent studies show while Americans are less ideologically polarized than they perceive themselves to be, they are more "emotionally polarized," which means they hold a strong dislike for members of the other party.
Cox acknowledged while the U.S. is deeply divided, most Americans are tired and want to change but change will not be easy.
"I feel like in our country today, we have gotten really, really good at tearing things down and people down and institutions down and parties down," Cox stressed. "Building is hard."
In his remarks, Cox noted he is not optimistic about the future of the U.S., but hopeful. He added there is no guarantee the country will inevitably improve itself, even going as far as saying nothing keeps another civil war from happening. But he added he is thankful to many political leaders and organizations willing to build camaraderie and continue fighting against toxic political polarization.
Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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