Daily Resource Highlight - 01/17/2022

Posted by on January 18, 2022 at 3:56 PM

Below are the highlights and featured resources of this past week’s Daily* Resource.

January 11, 2022 - Cleaning the 2021 Cupboard: Charts, Awards, and Reports!

How long can we say  “Happy New Year!” before it seems out of place? A few days? A week? I have been on two or three Zoom calls this year where people have started the call saying that we’re too far into 2022 to say it anymore.

I don’t really care either way, but I do think there’s something symbolic about capping off a previous year by taking care of unfinished business. And that’s what I’m doing today! So enjoy these resources and reports from the year that was as we dive headfirst into the year that will be:

And we’ll cap off ‘21 with a list of 21 charts from Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. CRFB continues to deliver in-depth, nonpartisan analyses of our government’s spending habits, and we look forward to continuing to amplify their message of fiscal responsibility in 2022. 

January 13, 2022 - Assuming Good Intentions with your Political Enemies

Would you be friends with someone who believes that your way of life is immoral or sinful? What about someone who vocally opposes a right that you consider to be fundamental? What if they had a hand in making their views the law?

There is no right or wrong answer to these questions. For me, though, I see myself reflected in Donna Wing and Bob Plaats’ friendship. Last decade, Donna reached out to Bob, who was more-or-less her political adversary. Donna was an LGBT advocate in a same-sex marriage, while Bob was a conservative Christian activist. They ended up developing a deep friendship that ended with Bob delivering the eulogy at Donna’s funeral.

Bob and Donna’s story reminds me of my strong conviction that most people you disagree with politically are decent, well-intentioned humans. That belief is further reinforced by these survey results from Congressional Management Foundation, which show that most congressional staffers (on both ends of the spectrum) are there because they want to serve their country and communities.

We have some important challenges ahead of us as a nation – ones that Bridge Alliance members are dedicated to solving. For instance, TechCongress is recruiting Fellows to shape technology policies and improve tech capability on the Hill. And Up to Us is seeking college and university students to be thought leaders about our country’s fiscal future.

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that it will be much easier to solve these problems once we  learn to become friends with our political counterparts. As Bob and Donna showed, you can embrace your deeply held convictions and be a powerful advocate, all the while treating people with opposing perspectives with respect and sometimes even love.

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