Our discussions in this course, like the issues we all face here and now, will be wide-ranging. Collectively we have a lot on our plates. That can seem overwhelming especially since until recently most of us have had the luxury of living by the ostrich principle: “out of sight out of mind,” as far as issues of public health, inequality, entrenched racism, ecological degradation, the role of science in public and private life and many others are concerned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In political terms, not only are there deep divisions among us, but more importantly a deeper misunderstanding of our opponents. People in one camp typically have no idea how people in opposing camps view the world or why it is that they think their views are reasonable. While people in positions of power might try to exploit these differences and misunderstandings for their own short term gain, in the longer term it would be better if we could at least learn what our opponents are thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chris Evans’ (yes Captain America<\/em> Chris Evans) website “A Starting Point” is a fantastic effort to deal with this problem of finding ways to communicate about our different viewpoints. Maybe then we can start to figure out ways to bridge the gaps between us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Starting Point is a civic engagement video-based app that helps voters better understand the issues of the day.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nA Starting Point<\/a><\/h4>