----------------------------
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Hello all,
I think that we all share a sense of deep upset about last Wednesday's events in the Capitol. I also think that we at Brickyard are much more politically diverse than the communities of Berkeley and Kensington which I lived in from 1971 to 2003 when we moved here. I think perhaps this diversity and the range of Democrats and Independents and Republicans (both within and between them) could be something of an opportunity rather than merely silently held divisions so we keep getting along with each other (which, in fact, matters a lot) As a country we desperately need to talk to each other and listen to each other across differences. Perhaps we can make one small start here at Brickyard.
I propose that we find a (virtual--phone or Zoom, i.e. safe) way to pair Republicans and Democrats and Independents (who "caucus" with one or the other?) to meet once a month for one hour over coffee, tea or wine to discuss the state of the nation, what we believe and how we might help. I put this same suggestion in Share the Wealth during the election of 2016. There was only 1 answer and the sound of one hand clapping is not enough.
Is anyone up for this now? I don't know if it's a tenable idea, but I'm curious to try. I am, by the way, on the conservative side of progressive democrats or the liberal side of moderate democrats; I'm not sure which. I grew up in a white midwestern Republican middle class suburb. The first political song I learned was in second grade: "Whistle while you work, Stephenson's a jerk. Eisenhower's got the power. Whistle while you work". I had an Ayn Rand phase in high school, my first vote for President was Eldridge Cleaver. I voted for Joe Biden in the primary.
Please contact me by e-mail with any thoughts or suggestions. Yours in humanity (Yes, I KNOW this is really corny),
Carol Morrison Straforini EMAIL: cmstraf@gmail.com
