Village SquareCast

Let Friendship Redeem the Republic

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Episode notes

Ask yourself how much time you spend really talking with friends or acquaintances who disagree with you ideologically? If you’re like most Americans, the answer is “hardly ever.” And despite all panic about the failure of democracy, we don’t act to change that — even when there’s lots of evidence that suggests that if we’d just spend more time with each other as human beings it would actually make a difference.

Join us to meet pairs of friends on opposite sides of the political division who maintain close friendships that deepen and enrich their lives anyway. You’ll meet Berny + Geston (they disagree on almost everything, except that they both love their country), Marian + Derek (a lesbian pastor and conservative Latter Day Saint who work together on the thorny issues of religious liberty and equal rights), and you’ll meet Village Square Founder & CEO Liz Joyner’s friend Dr. Jacob Hess, co-author of “You’re Not as Crazy as I thought (but you’re still wrong).” Liz and Jacob have joined forces to convince the rest of America that friendships across differences are the very best kind (see their Respect + Rebellion project).

Program title “Let Friendship Redeem the Republic” came from Patricia Nelson Limerick.

Presented in partnership with Florida Humanities and Tallahassee Democrat, through the generous support of Florida Humanities and season sponsor Johnson & Blanton.