Understanding Political Polarization at Great Falls Library
0
Votes

Understanding Political Polarization at Great Falls Library

A class of individuals from diverse backgrounds met at the Great Falls Library at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 9. The class, “Righteous Minds: Trying to Understand Political Minds,” gathered to discuss and try to understand how political views and group loyalties make individuals view the political world. The class was hosted by Bill Roos, of Arlington, on the meetup.com app. It is an app in which people create groups that others with similar interests can join. This can include meeting up for hiking, cooking, reading and more. This particular group was created to study key books that help to understand how people find themselves on one side or the other in political debates. The next meeting will take place on Aug. 16 at the Great Falls Library. Here is what some of the attendees had to say about the class:

photo

“The class is interesting and it is nice to hear people challenging the status quo and trying to understand each other. I think it is a gentle way of getting people to start questioning whether they are really sure about what they believe,” said Dan Holdgriewe from Springfield.

photo

“I learned group thinking and about political issues. It helps you to think that others may be thinking in ‘group think’ and that you might also be thinking in ‘group think.’ People you’ve agreed with probably think the way you think because of that ‘group think idea’,” said Eva Wildavsky, from Chevy Chase, Md.

photo

“The meetings are very good; nobody overpowers anybody, so everybody is able to share ideas. This class reminds me to listen to all folks. It is very easy to get away from that,” said Daryl Wagner from Maryland.

photo

“It is a really great topic. I think it has helped me with understanding myself better. Particularly with the reading, I am learning a lot about how different people develop their moral values and how we react on the basis of a lot of unconscious feelings and thoughts we have and we are not entirely rational about our ideas and our positions,” said Deborah Elkinton from Arlington.

photo

“The class is excellent because it frames political discussions in a more constructive and productive way. Of course it is a work in progress because there are always new factors that need to be entered into the equation. I think it makes me more aware of other people’s opinions and allows me to take my time before reacting. This needs to be practiced by all of us in the community to communicate without insult and learn to respect each other,” said Esteban Molfino of Great Falls.