I often hear directly from readers of this newsletter and observers of the bridging and democracy reform movements we work with at the Bridge Alliance. Those comments frequently convey frustration or concern that by being open-minded and engaging with those who think differently, we ignore the real threats facing us in the name of civility. The healthy self-governance movement is a collection of organizations and people that promote civility, transparency, effective governance, civic engagement, and a 'country before party' mindset. It's worth saying out loud that those core principles do not accommodate those who seek to embrace authoritarianism. The paradox of intolerance requires us to take a stand against intolerance in the name of a tolerant society, which means that some beliefs do not fit with our goals as a movement.
However, within that framework, we have much to do to function effectively as an ecosystem to take a collective stand. The work we engage in is multi-faceted - which is why it is difficult but essential. Yes, our society must focus on engaging with others that are not like us with empathy and civility - but that alone can't cure what ails us. It also takes using that civility and empathy to discuss ideas to enshrine those traits into our governance, education, and culture, which our members are doing in various ways. This imperative is more eloquently laid out in this week's featured Fulcrum article by Vinay Orekondy, "Fighting back against authoritarianism." Vinay's work with structural reform groups informs his observation that bridging organizations would be well served to partner with civic organizations to scale their well-earned knowledge from the individual to the community level. Community is what people worldwide have lost their sense of, leading to the rise in authoritarianism, and re-envisioning communities is our best chance at fighting the opportunity for authoritarianism to slide into the vacuum.
The content our members are producing right now supports that observation.
Bridge Alliance member A More Perfect Union: The Jewish Partnership for Democracy, recently had an opinion piece by their founder and Executive Director Aaron Dorfman published in Haaretz, "Why Jews Must Mobilize to Save America's Democracy." They believe in the power of religious and cultural communities and their vital role in the collective coalition to strengthen and save America's democracy - and that coalition's success is imperative.
The American Values Coalition's summary of American neo-Nazis in the news, "Nazis Among Us," pointed out some heartbreaking but honest updates on the state of neo-Nazi activity in the U.S. This includes pointing out that the shooter in the Dallas shooting was adorned with a swastika, SS, and white power tattoos; that a January 6 rioter sentenced last week had expressed admiration for Hitler to an undercover FBI agent, and stated he had "outlined a plan to enlist Christians to wipe out the country's entire Jewish population"; and that the "ReAwaken America Tour" being hosted at Trump's Miami resort features neo-Nazi speakers who espouse antisemitic claims I won't repeat. These are not positive markers for us as a country. Far-right neo-Nazi groups have a vast playbook of historically successful ways to convince people living in tumultuous times to buy into the "us" vs. "them" mindsets. But that means we, as a society, also have access to that same playbook to defend against such hate and divisiveness. So how could this be happening?
In no small part, such hate thrives when we won't - or can't - talk about how these patterns have been repeated throughout history. That is why discussions about civic literacy, such as in this op-ed featuring Aizaz Gill of Business for America, are so important. Interactivity Foundation also published a relevant new post in their "Just Imagine" series, introducing us to Margot Stern Strom, an educator who fought tirelessly against the conspiracy of silence around teaching history. Her legacy ensures that students have an engaging and productive way to face the entirety of history and become prepared citizens in the struggle to push back against authoritarianism. We need to flex that collective civic muscle now more than ever.
As always, I welcome your feedback and suggestions for future content. Have a great rest of your week!
Gratefully,
Kristina Becvar
Chief Operating Officer
American Values Coalition (Blog) May 10th: Nazis Among Us
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