Crossing Party Lines: Southern Oregon

As election results roll in, we experience a wide range of emotions, whether our preferred candidates win or lose. This conversation invites participants to discuss ways we can act that will foster unity and promote healthy community dialogue post-election.

Purpose:
This meeting aims to explore diverse perspectives on maintaining social cohesion and constructive discourse following electoral outcomes, regardless of our political preferences.

Questions for Discussion:

• What are constructive ways to respond when our preferred candidates win or lose?
• In what ways can we encourage and participate in inclusive dialogues that bridge political divides post-election?
• Do you remember examples from past elections, either in the U.S. or other democracies, that provide us with lessons on post-election unity?
• How can you show unity in your life post-election?
• Do you want to be more or less involved in politics now that the election is over?
• Were you involved in this election in any way? How was it? How do you feel about this?

This conversation will delve into how we can engage respectfully with each other and strengthen community bonds, promoting a robust democratic process through mutual respect and understanding.
Please do your best to arrive at the beginning of the meeting – once we are in breakout rooms and the conversations have started, the meeting doors close to new arrivals. The breakout rooms open (and the doors close) approximately 15 minutes after the hour.

Amidst fluctuating economic conditions, each of us experiences the impact differently, influenced by factors such as location, employment, and personal financial situations. How is the current economic climate affecting individuals and communities across various demographics?

Purpose:
This conversation is designed to explore the diverse ways the economy is influencing our daily lives, highlighting personal experiences and shared challenges.

Questions for Discussion:

• How are current economic conditions impacting your household and community?
• What changes have you noticed in the job market, and how have they affected job security and employment opportunities in your area?
• In what ways do you think economic policies at the state or national level are affecting your financial situation and decisions?
• How can communities better support individuals facing economic hardships during such fluctuating economic times?
• What part of the current economy has affected you the most?

Join us to share your experiences and gain insights from others as we delve into the multifaceted effects of the economy on our lives, aiming to foster a deeper understanding and collaborative solutions.

Please do your best to arrive at the beginning of the meeting – once we are in breakout rooms and the conversations have started, the meeting doors close to new arrivals. The breakout rooms open (and the doors close) approximately 15 minutes after the hour.

We would love to hear your thoughts on our social media pages. Don't miss topic announcements, updates, news! Follow us on:

• Instagram @crossingpartylines
• Twitter @crosspartylines
• Facebook @crossingpartylines

America is in crisis, from the university to the workplace. Toxic ideas first spread by higher education have undermined humanistic values, fueled intolerance, and widened divisions in our larger culture. Chaucer, Shakespeare and Milton? Oppressive. American history? Tyranny. Professors correcting grammar and spelling, or employers hiring by merit? Racist and sexist. Students emerge into the working world believing that human beings are defined by their skin color, gender, and sexual preference, and that oppression based on these characteristics is the American experience. Speech that challenges these campus orthodoxies is silenced with brute force.

The Diversity Delusion argues that the root of this problem is the belief in America’s endemic racism and sexism, a belief that has engendered a metastasizing diversity bureaucracy in society and academia. Diversity commissars denounce meritocratic standards as discriminatory, enforce hiring quotas, and teach students and adults alike to think of themselves as perpetual victims. From #MeToo mania that blurs flirtations with criminal acts, to implicit bias and diversity compliance training that sees racism in every interaction, Heather Mac Donald argues that we are creating a nation of narrowed minds, primed for grievance, and that we are putting our competitive edge at risk.

But there is hope in the works of authors, composers, and artists who have long inspired the best in us. Compiling the author’s decades of research and writing on the subject, The Diversity Delusion calls for a return to the classical liberal pursuits of open-minded inquiry and expression, by which everyone can discover a common humanity.

About CPL Book Club:
This monthly gathering's mission is simple: to explore profound opinions and accounts of our nation’s and the world’s most critical issues through in-depth books. But it’s not just about reading - it’s about embracing diverse perspectives, sparking discussions, and sharing thoughts with fellow explorers of knowledge.

What you’ll get out of book club: our hope is for you to dare to dive deep, analyzing topics and navigating the twists and turns of politics together. If you share a passion for continuous learning and want to explore the intricacies of our world’s challenges, then this club is your intellectual haven (or entry) into finding out more.

How It Works:

• We will announce our book list 6 months in advance in the hopes of giving our members time to acquire, read, and consider the books prior to our meetings. We will start with an initial list of books that were hand-selected by the host and other members of the CPL leadership team. Three months into the initial list, members will propose and select the next 3 to 6 books to be read
• One month before the club reads a book, we will publish a primer (see link above), providing information about the book and the author, plus questions to consider while reading the book.

Where To Find the Books:
We promise that all the books we will discuss will be available online, in bookstores and in most cases, in your local library. Most will be available in hardcopy, audiobook, and e-book. Please consider borrowing the books from your local library. If you find purchasing new copies of the books beyond your budget, we encourage you to look for used copies, which you are likely to find online at Powell’s Bookstore, ThriftBooks, or on Amazon (listed below the hardcover or paperback prices).

Please do your best to arrive at the beginning of the meeting – once we are in breakout rooms and the conversations have started, the meeting doors close to new arrivals. The breakout rooms open (and the doors close) approximately 15 minutes after the hour.
We would love to hear your thoughts on our social media pages. Don't miss topic announcements, updates, news! Follow us on:

• Instagram @crossingpartylines
• Twitter @crosspartylines
• Facebook @crossingpartylines