Bridging the Divide: Red Perspective

Braver Angels rests on a simple, powerful belief: we are all worth knowing. In a divided world, it’s easy to stereotype or cancel those who think differently. But when we choose curiosity over judgment, engagement over estrangement, we open the door to deeper understanding. Everyone carries a story - values and experiences - and a longing to be truly seen, heard, and understood. Sharing stories elevates each of us.

After the Texas floods, a left-leaning friend shared a Buffalo News cartoon of Trump handing a MAGA hat to a flood victim, who was clinging to a fence above rising waters. The jeering comments that followed shocked me more than the cartoon itself: bitter posts lashing out at Christians, Texans and Republicans. President Trump will never see those threads—but people like me, with ties to Texas, will. I replied, respectfully suggesting it was not the time for divisive political rhetoric. 

Why respond? Are those who say vicious things online, who post “May they get what they voted for” when children are missing and feared dead, even worth knowing? 

I think so. 

Daryl Davis, who befriended Ku Klux Klan members and inspired many to leave the organization, famously asks: “How can you hate me when you don’t even know me?” His life’s work - over 200 Klansmen deserting hate - proves courageously respectful conversation changes hearts. 

If he doesn’t judge people based on their worst impulses, why should I?

Hate begets hate. I don’t agree with my friend or those who posted on his feed in the aftermath of those floods. However, he, a truly gentle man, texted me explaining why he feels the way he does. I still disagree, but I still also love him. 

Being a Braver Angel means seeing the humanity in others, even in their most unlovable moments, and listening to understand, not to condemn. When we see and hear the person behind the opinion, we connect. 

That’s the Braver Way.