Principles

Let's break it down:

• Help comes in all shapes and sizes. Not all efforts will succeed, but the effort itself is a help.
• America is where we live. We also care about our local communities and the broader world, but we feel America needs some attention "today" and for a while yet. We also welcome help from those who do not live here!
• To Get Along does not mean we all agree or like one another. We expect differences, and even passionate disagreements, but we can choose to be civilized and respectful, even with those who are not. It takes time, but respect breeds respect. If we succeed, the uncivilized will become the rare exception.

To get there, we will do our best to follow these basic principles:

     Let us work to find connections when we can,

     accept when we cannot,

     and learn to tell the difference.

     We try to hear what others are saying, and not just wait to respond. We work to understand where they are coming from, and not get too upset if they fail to hold the beliefs we wish they held.

     When someone says something that seems wrong, we ask them about it, rather than simply telling them how wrong they are. If things go well, they may ask us about our beliefs.

     And we keep in mind that asking "Were you born stupid or did you study?" doesn't count.

     We go beyond the headlines, the tweets, and our comfort zones, to get more of the full story.

     We do our best to reach out, rather than waiting for others to come to us.