Every day, as part of my public work around the plight and fate of democracy, I hear a few things over and over from friends, listeners, viewers and readers.
“I can’t deal—it’s just too stressful to even listen to the news anymore.”
“I am very anxious about it all but have no idea what one person can do about it.”
“The system is too far gone to fix so I’m just going to focus on things I can actually affect.”
“I can’t seem to say the right thing, ever. I am tired of fighting losing battles over what is fact or fiction. I’m afraid to say anything anymore.”
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Here’s one possible answer to our feelings of despair and disengagement: Take a step towards communication and connection.
Welcome to a new community—where we can come together in order not to fall apart.
We’ve all heard the same tired refrains—in our offices, classrooms, living rooms and almost every media headline.
“America is so polarized.”
“There’s no point in even voting.”
“I keep fighting with family/friends over politics.”
We need a way to discuss important issues surrounding our democracy, which is in serious peril right now, so that we can join together and sustain it. That’s why I’m starting virtual, facilitated monthly conversations for paid subscribers.
What do you get by becoming a paid subscriber to the Simple Politics Substack?
In addition to monthly “Politics Therapy” conversations, you get exclusive content (like video explainers, a more in-depth look at the issues I write about), and regular discussion threads to interact with me and other community members.
How does Politics Therapy work?
Members will receive two vetted articles on the topic of the month and a discussion prompt like: “Was Roe v. Wade a made-up thing under the Constitution or was it the Supreme Court in Dobbs that really messed with the law?”
You don’t have to come with the “right answer.” Just come with some thoughtful questions. The goal is to help us dislodge some of our black-and-white thinking about the complex legal and factual issues facing the nation today, to find common ground, and to engage with each other. It’s one simple step we can each do to address the monumental shifts in society that can sometimes feel overwhelming and scary.
It feels risky to have open-ended conversations. What happens when there’s disagreement?
We have participant commitments, and we focus on only one issue at a time:
We need more conversation, not less.
To quote NPR’s Tovia Smith:
Interested? Questions? Comment them below!
You can find me on Twitter and Instagram, for more updates!
What's Simple Politics like in real life? I've been wanting to look into both law school and the legal field since youth, even though I have Autism.