Stan Hall recounts a recent incident in which he accepted the invitation on a protest sign to communicate with a person on the other side of the country and the other side of politics. This person was challenging anyone to change his opinion that the election was stolen. Mr. Hall noted that resulting from their email exchange, both men agreed that they “could find common ground to help unify this great nation.”

Thank you, Mr. Hall, for taking a risk, and for sharing the encouragement that resulted. Actually, many others are of the same mind and are being offered a platform for exactly this kind of exchange.

Braver Angels, whose mission is “We bring Americans together to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic,” began its collaborative work in 2016, and now offers a plethora of online information, training and discussion forums. The focus is listening to differing viewpoints with a curious mind and searching for common ground, rather than aiming to change another’s opinion.

“If you want peace, you don’t talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.” — Desmond Tutu

People like Mr. Hall, Braver Angels and Archbishop Tutu give me the hope I need.

Kathryn Switzer

Corvallis