I’ve been distressed by the increasingly strident tone of our political rhetoric. I am guilty of it too, but I recognize that if we are ever going to move past the polarization, we have to articulate our positions to others with humility and a sense of respectful cooperation. In the belief that all politics is local, I invited two people from my community who practice civil discourse to discuss their backgrounds and perspectives.
First is Jimmy Fox who serves on the Fairbanks North Star Borough’s Sustainability Commission. As you’ll hear he was deeply influenced by Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac, and more recently Getting to Yes and Leadership on the Line. He was particularly inspired by the teachings of Marty Linsky and Adaptive Leadership.
My second guest is Mike Prax who has served on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly Mike remains engaged in the community, attending a wide range of public meetings. He is a Libertarian and points to former Alaska State Legislator Dick Randolph as a mentor. Despite their differing backgrounds, both men believe in civil dialogue and not relying on legislatures to achieve a more perfect society.
Also on the show, Chris Lott looks at the word “liberty” on this edition of Katexic Clippings.
You can listen to the program here.