America today is a nation of increasing animosity for those we don't understand. Our divisions are vivid, our shared humanity diminished. Many people feel our core values are being threatened. However, this fear looks very different across the ideological and demographic spectrum. While we may disagree on the source and nature of our challenges, there is a shared sense that something is terribly wrong.
Conversation—listening first to understand—is a powerful and necessary part of the solution. On this Fourth of July, may we reflect more on what unites us than divides us, have the courage for conversations across divides, and listen first to understand.