Sean Kavanagh: Tired of listening to the angry, divisive politics of today?

Interested in civil dialog with your Belknap County neighbors?

Then join us for a Better Argument. A national movement that promotes civic discourse across America.

Americans don’t agree on everything. That’s what makes us great. We have the right to express our beliefs. But we can get better at disagreeing and still be good neighbors.

The Laconia Daily Sun will sponsor a Better Argument event on Saturday, May 28. As a certified Better Arguments ambassador, and Lakes Region resident, I will be the facilitator. We’d like to host a group of Belknap County residents with different backgrounds and perspectives on politics, government, religion, gender and ethnicity. Folks whose family has been here for generations and those who just arrived. Whether your ancestors came on the Mayflower or as refugees from a foreign war. You are all welcome.

This is not a debate. In fact the first principle of Better Arguments is to take winning off the table. The goal is to listen and understand one another’s point of view. To understand the history and context that brought a person to their belief, and to empathize. We don’t have to agree, but perhaps our minds can be opened in a new and different way.

While we will never agree on everything, we’re all Granite Staters so let’s get together and share our voices, our opinions, our frustrations and our hopes. In doing so, let’s help create a New Hampshire for the 21st Century.

Join me Saturday, May 28, 9 a.m.-noon, at The Belknap Mill in Laconia.

If you would like to participate please email me at sean.kavanagh@fallrisker.com for an application. I will review all applications and attempt to create a group that represents a cross-section of perspectives.

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Sean Kavanagh lives in Center Harbor.