Program date: June 2, 2023
Air date: June 5, 2023
From the City Club of Eugene:
Topic:
In 1958, Gallup asked – in the dated language of the era – “If you had a daughter of marriageable age, would you prefer she marry a Democrat or Republican, all other things being equal?” 18 percent of Americans said they would prefer their daughter to marry a Democrat, 10 percent preferred a Republican, and the majority didn’t care.
Fast-forward to 2016, and 28 percent of respondents said they preferred their child to marry a Democrat and 27 percent a Republican, and the share who didn’t care had shrunk significantly.
By the 2022 Election, 80 percent of Americans believed that their opposing political party poses a threat to the country, and that, if not stopped, will destroy it, according to an NBC News poll.
The combination of this political polarization with the harms of the pandemic and the emergence of social media echo chambers causes Americans to struggle more and more to have meaningful, productive conversations with neighbors across the political divide.
City Club welcomed three guests to talk about how we can get back to basics and learn to engage with and learn from one another – a mission near and dear to the City Club of Eugene. We hope you’ll join us.
Luke Grossmiller recognizes that if democracy is going to thrive, it must be built in a fertile soil of trust and goodwill between people. To promote this, Luke joined Braver Angels to help foster the kind of respectful communication, especially listening, that allows people to drop their defenses and better appreciate one another. He is currently a case manager for Lane County’s unique diversion program, which provides those charged with crimes an opportunity to discuss the impacts of their actions and create a plan to address those impacts.
Dr. Vipul Lakhani moved to Eugene in 2014 and has been a member of the Baha’i Faith since 1999. He is a member of Meaningful Conversations Eugene, whose mission is to create a space for deeper conversation, connection, reflection, and action He serves in several capacities related to his faith, including the Local Spiritual Assembly and the Northwest Regional Training Institute Board. A board-certified endocrinologist, Dr. Lakhani holds an undergraduate degree from Duke University, an M.D. from Vanderbilt University and was an Assistant Professor of Medicine and the Assistant Endocrinology Fellowship Program Director at Vanderbilt prior to moving to Oregon.
Hannah White joined the UO Holden Center team in 2019 as a coordinator for leadership development and community engagement. Her goal is to foster spaces where students can learn more about who they are and how their intersecting identities can inform who they can become, empowered to make their communities more accessible and equitable. A key focus in her programs is discovering how community-building and sense of belonging activate social change. After earning a BFA in fiber arts and material studies from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, Hannah served as an AmeriCorps member in New Orleans, helping families return home after Hurricane Katrina. She then earned a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs from Bowling Green State University.
About the City Club of Eugene:
The mission of the City Club of Eugene is to build community vision through open inquiry. The Club explores a wide range of significant local, state, and national issues and helps to formulate new approaches and solutions to problems. Membership is open to all, and Club members have a direct influence on public policy by discussing issues of concern with elected officials and other policy makers. The City Club’s mailing address is PO Box 12084, Eugene, OR 97440, and its website is cityclubofeugene.org.
Video and Broadcast
This program will be live streamed, and the videotape will be made available on the City Club of Eugene’s Facebook page and You Tube Channel, in addition to our website. It will be broadcast on Monday, June 5, 2023 at 7:00 pm, on KLCC 89.7 FM.
Contact: For more information, visit CityClubOfEugene.org.