"Based on her work for a CIA task force aimed at predicting civil wars, political scientist Barbara F. Walter examines the rise in extremism and threats to democracies around the globe -- and paints an unsettling picture of the increasing likelihood of a second civil war in the United States. If you love watching TED Talks like this one, become a TED Member to support our mission of spreading ideas: https://ted.com/membership"Video link -> https://t.co/sxLSSAfEmk
Providing accurate and timely information about what matters in Franklin, MA since 2007. * Working in collaboration with Franklin TV and Radio (wfpr.fm) since October 2019 *
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
Is the US Headed Towards Another Civil War? | Barbara F. Walter | TED (video)
Sunday, July 16, 2023
"We gathered on the site of the great battle of our Civil War in order to prevent another one"
"On July 5, 2023—160 years after the Battle of Gettysburg—the unthinkable happened.We came to @Gettysburg to launch a movement, bringing together 650 conservatives and liberals on equal terms to clarify differences, find common ground where it exists, and strengthen our nation.It was hard to pull off.How do you bring people of opposing viewpoints together during such an intense time of division?We leaned on a small, scrappy staff and a dedicated group of volunteers who put everything they had into making the convention happen.And then, it did."
Read the full thread in this PDF -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/188dE76N8YydAEV743jbqwyZ-aDyTAgwb/view?usp=drive_link
witf.org, the public news service for 17 communities in Central PA provides some video of some of the conventions goers. -> https://www.witf.org/2023/07/14/hundreds-gather-at-gettysburg-college-to-bridge-political-divides-through-constructive-conversations/
For more about Braver Angels, the group that organized this event -> https://braverangels.org/our-mission/
"We were led by our two co-Chairs, Erica Manuel ( @ericut ), CEO & Executive Director of @InstLocGov and Wilk Wilkinson (@wilksopinion ), host of @DeratetheHate podcast" |
Saturday, July 15, 2023
"Disagree Better - Saving Your Family Dinner" - (video)
"Want better, braver politics? Share the heck out of this video.
Then ask *your* elected officials what *they're* doing to save our family dinners... & the whole American experiment.video link -> https://t.co/NCX0TC13yD or https://youtu.be/Ltm0wb9lFAY
Thanks @GovCox & @GovofCO for stepping the f UP! 🇺🇸"
Thursday, December 23, 2021
Boston Globe: America is ‘closer to civil war than any of us would like to believe,’ CIA adviser says
"One of the world’s leading experts on political violence and terrorism is sounding the alarm on the state of democracy in America, warning that the country is increasingly on the path to being caught up in the throes of a second civil war.Barbara F. Walter, a political science professor at the University of California at San Diego, has served on an advisory panel run by the Central Intelligence Agency for the past several years that aims to predict where in the world a “civil war, political violence, and instability is likely to break out,” she said in an interview with CNN on Sunday, where she discussed her new book out January, “How Civil Wars Start and How to Stop Them.”But Walter, who has been studying civil wars and conflicts in places like Northern Ireland, Ethiopia, and Syria for the last three decades, applied international research and the metrics used to evaluate democracies in other countries to America. What she found was that the nation is “closer to civil war than any of us would like to believe,” according to a passage from the book published by the Washington Post.“No one wants to believe that their beloved democracy is in decline, or headed toward war,” she writes in the excerpt. “If you were an analyst in a foreign country looking at events in America — the same way you’d look at events in Ukraine or the Ivory Coast or Venezuela — you would go down a checklist, assessing each of the conditions that make civil war likely. And what you would find is that the United States, a democracy founded more than two centuries ago, has entered very dangerous territory.”
Wednesday, December 22, 2021
Talk Franklin - the Winter Solstice episode - 12/21/21 (audio)
FM #684 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 684 in the series.
This session of the radio show shares my "Talk Franklin" conversation with Town Administrator Jamie Hellen. We had our conversation via the Zoom Conference Bridge.
This was recorded coincidentally beginning with the Winter Solstice at 11 AM on 12/21/21. Maybe the start of a new tradition.
We had a less formal agenda to talk through as we discussed the recent tragedy in Franklin, civil discourse, gratitude for what we do have, and looking ahead to the challenges and opportunities of 2022.
The recording runs about 40 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Jamie.
Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-684-talk-franklin-12-21-21
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Candlelight vigil recording
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/12/candlelight-vigil-coverage-as-franklin.html
GoFundMe for Shirley Owen https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/12/gofundme-for-shirley-in-our-hearts.html
Community Preservation public hearings announced
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/12/community-preservation-act-public.html
Rebuilding Civility in the Public Square (book mentioned by Jamie)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595941509
--------------
We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.
This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
How can you help?
If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
If you don't like something here, please let me know
Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.
I hope you enjoy!
------------------
You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"
Talk Franklin - the Winter Solstice episode - 12/21/21 (audio) |
Thursday, December 2, 2021
Conversation with Franklin's State Representative Jeff Roy - 11/23/21 (audio)
FM #669 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 669 in the series.
This session of the radio show shares my conversation with our State Representative Jeffrey Roy. We had our conversation virtually via the Zoom conference bridge on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
We talked about:
Thanksgiving, time for thanks
Wind power and renewable energy efforts
Genocide bill, legislative terms (engrossment, enactment)
Recycling event pilot now going state-wide
Critical conversations on mental health substance abuse
Civil and civic conversations for government discussions
Links to the key references are included in the show notes. The recording runs about 59 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Jeff Roy.
*** Audio file => https://player.captivate.fm/episode/e615231a-39f6-4f26-82c0-d37cd261a70c
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Wind power ground breaking event https://twitter.com/jeffroy/status/1461667359865942017
Commonwealth Magazine article: https://commonwealthmagazine.org/the-download/a-first-step-on-offshore-wind-2/
Genocide legislation text https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S2557
Genocide bill articles: Public officials, faith leaders denounce antisemitism at Holocaust memorial menorah lighting, Boston Globe (11/30/21); A bill heading to Governor Charlie Baker’s desk would require Mass. school districts to teach about genocides, Boston Globe (11/27/21); Massachusetts mandates genocide education, Armenian Weekly (11/16/21); Beacon Hill eyeing tradeoffs on offshore wind, Commonwealth Magazine (10/18/21)
Green Team webpage https://www.gogreenteamjunk.com/ event listing (not showing future events at this time) https://www.gogreenteamjunk.com/events
Mass Save web page (sign up for energy audits, etc.) https://www.masssave.com/
SAFE Coalition presentation as mentioned in the discussion (Town Council meeting of 9/15/21) -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/09/franklin-ma-town-council-meeting.html
SAFE Coalition web page -> https://www.safecoalitionma.org/home
Get Help Now! For Help Call the SAFE Support Hotline: 508-488-8105
You can listen to Danielle Allen on an episode of "More Perfect Union" https://player.captivate.fm/episode/5230abc8-a5e5-4ec6-89b3-2f1e1beeaa11
--------------
We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.
This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
How can you help?
If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
If you don't like something here, please let me know
Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.
I hope you enjoy!
------------------
You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"
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State Representative Jeff Roy |
Sunday, November 7, 2021
Joint Statement from MSAA and M.A.S.S.
"We stand ready to work collectively to make our schools a place where respect and civility are the norm."
For full statement -> https://t.co/tVOTZwBCQu
Shared from -> https://www.massupt.org/2021/11/05/msaamassjointstatement/
(https://twitter.com/MSAA_33/status/1456655826396094468?t=tKw_mDAvfoxSyDpfI5K6xA&s=03)
A Joint Statement from the Massachusetts Schools Administrators’ Association (MSAA) and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (M.A.S.S.):"Superintendents and principals understood that the pandemic would not just impact our students’ academic growth but more importantly, interfere with their social and emotional development.The adult behavior toward a LGBTQ student in Franklin and the student attack on a principal in Boston only highlight what we see in the number of dis regulated students and adults in our school community right now. These behaviors are unacceptable.Personal threats, verbal outbursts, and physical assaults have been escalating, creating threatening situations. It is not hyperbole to say that our school and district leaders are navigating through dangerously uncharted waters fueled by these emotions. Equally, we all need to realize that many of our young people are dealing with their own trauma and it requires an entire community to help them deal with this disruptive time in their lives.We all need to reduce the vitriol in our communication and realize that our students are watching how we adults behave. We stand ready to work collectively to make our schools a place where respect and civility are the norm."
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Joint Statement from MSAA and M.A.S.S. |
Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Election results could lead to a community vision
- How do we come out of the devastation wrought by the pandemic?
- How do we address the issues of inequity or gaps raised by the pandemic?
- How do we properly fund our schools and all the Town services we need as a community?
Sunday, October 31, 2021
Sound familiar?
"Youngkin’s seeming confusion around controversial racial issues highlighted his conflicting roles. In Washington, while at Carlyle, he was the responsible corporate citizen practicing worthy philanthropy. In the Republican party, where that sort of non-partisan moderation is not only suspect but mocked as a source of evil, he has had to demonstrate that he is not tainted.Soon enough, Youngkin waded into the murky waters of racial politics. He offered himself as the defender of schoolchildren from the menace of critical race theory, even though the abstruse legal doctrine is not taught in any Virginia public school. Yet he suggested that his opponent, former governor Terry McAuliffe, would impose its creed on innocent minds, depriving parents of control. “On day one, I will ban critical race theory in our schools,” Youngkin has pledged.But his brandishing of critical race theory, nonexistent in the schools’ curriculum, has been apparently insufficiently frightening to finish the job. Perhaps not enough people know what the theory is at all. He needed one more push, searched for one more issue and produced one more ad."
Saturday, October 30, 2021
Voices of Franklin: Arielle Shearer - the word is 'complicity'
I know several families on that street. I can't imagine ANY of his neighbors that I personally know being okay with inviting a bigot into their home, or attending an event where one was invited to speak, or even continuing to enjoy and defend an association with the bigot promoter.
I can't imagine ANY of the people that I know on Mr. Earls’ street supporting or accepting a public demonstration such as the one on October 8th, 2021 on Route 140 near the Honey Dew Donuts. This demonstration was described by Mr. Earls (https://franklinobserver.town.news/g/franklin-town-ma/n/45065/flags-aflutter) as “A group of adults and children bearing flags and signs with patriotic-themed messages.” The photographs in his post show School Committee candidates Dashe Videira and Mark Bisson amidst signs stating “In God We Trust,” “Vote 2021” and “We Are A Christian Nation.” Excluding non-Christians is not patriotic. A public demonstration marginalizing and excluding Franklin residents of other religions from the demonstrators’ nation should not be applauded by being labeled patriotic. It not only hurts people but directly contradicts the United States Constitution, in which the First Amendment prohibits the establishment of a national religion.
Dashe Videira invited a man into her home as an honored guest speaker. The man is an unapologetic bigot, as anyone who Googles him can determine on their own in less than a minute. Dashe Videira and Mark Bisson participated in a "stand-out" in which they marginalized and excluded non-Christians by promoting the message "We Are A Christian Nation." These are things that happened; no one is contesting that. Aaron Gouveia's post brought these things to light. Rejecting hate does not, as Mr. Earl states, "burn social bridges." Promoting and validating hate speech and exclusion "burns social bridges."
Mr. Earls states "To behave as if a young mother of four children, brimming with energy and kindness, is an existential threat to society, is at best a gross exaggeration." It's one thing to turn your head away and ignore prejudice. That’s bad enough, but that is not what Mr. Earls has done. By looking straight at it and willingly telling a fairytale, by reporting an exclusionary event as patriotic, by attempting to redirect blame onto someone doing the right thing, Mr. Earls has made it very clear that he is okay with what has transpired in recent weeks, and equally clear that he is part of the problem.
Friday, October 29, 2021
A Call to Our Community: #LOVEfranklin
We are appalled by the recent lack of respect and civility shown to Mackenzie Atwood, a Franklin High School senior and student representative to the Franklin School Committee, who spoke with courage at the October 26, 2021, Franklin School Committee meeting about the discrimination she and her friends experience on a regular basis. The interruption and attempt to silence Mackenzie by speaking over her cannot and should not be tolerated.
Over the last several months, we have become acutely aware of an increase in hate-filled rhetoric and vandalism in our community. Hate speech and vandalism against members of the LGBTQIA+ community, racial slurs, and anti-Semitic graffiti cannot and should not tolerated. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to hate-filled language and actions no matter how frequently they may occur in our community or elsewhere. We must speak out and act against hate to build a better community.
Each of our faith traditions calls us to love: to value the sacred worth of everyone, treating each person with dignity and respect. To be very specific, let us love Franklin. We resolve to create a beloved community where all persons regardless of their gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnic background, age, stature, ability, creed, or faith can find a home.
Therefore, we commit ourselves to love Franklin. And, we ask you to commit yourself to love Franklin too.
- Rabbi Tom Alpert, Temple Etz Chaim
- Susan Borchard, Franklin Federated Church
- Rev. Eric Cherry, First Universalist Society in Franklin
- Mary Diehl, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Franklin Interfaith Choir Director
- Rev. Maggie Geller, St. John's Episcopal Church
- Alisa Hansen, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Rev. Dr. Jacob W. Juncker, Franklin United Methodist Church
- Father Brian Manning, Saint Mary Parish, Franklin MA
- Rev. Kathleen McAdams, St. John's Episcopal Church
- Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt, Franklin Federated Church
I hope you’ll consider adding your name and encouraging others to do the same. You can find a link to the statement along with a form to add your name here: https://forms.gle/
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A Call to Our Community: #LOVEfranklin |
Thursday, October 28, 2021
Superintendent's Letter to the Franklin Community - 10/27/2021
https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/news/superintendents_letter_to_the_franklin_community_-_10.27.2021.pdf