by Voices for Common Ground members Tanya Mickler, Michele Gutierrez, Tamara Martin, Betsy Williams, and Lisa Wolcott
On a hot Gainesville day in July 2024, one of our founders sent out an email with deep resonance for many of us. She shared her thoughts on an alternative to the growing habit of “doomscrolling” — the act of mindlessly consuming negative news online, which had begun to feel like a futile attempt to make sense of the chaos around us.
But doomscrolling wasn’t working because our feeds didn’t have the answer to the question we were grappling with: where is our country headed? Conversations with friends, family, and co-workers often seemed to lack common ground. The constant churn of divisive politics deepened the sense of helplessness. Was there a way to break the cycle of despair and paralysis?
We identified a way forward when several of us saw Heather Cox Richardson’s appearance with Red Wine & Blue (RWB), a grassroots organization dedicated to empowering women to organize locally. Heather, a historian and author of the popular daily newsletter Letters from an American, spoke passionately about Project 2025 and the urgent need for people to step up and take action. Her message was clear: as a nation, we face deep challenges, but by having one conversation at a time, we can counter the divisive rhetoric that is tearing us apart. Heather’s call to action resonated deeply with us, especially since Florida’s political climate is as intense as its humidity.
We started our chapter in August 2024 and named it Voices for Common Ground. It is associated with RWB/Trouble Nation and focuses on issues, not political parties. We are united by a shared commitment to civil rights (reproductive rights, anti-racism, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights …).
While we can’t support specific candidates or parties, our goal is to contribute meaningfully to the political conversation by focusing on values that matter to our community. A key part of our journey has been creating a space for respectful dialogue where people can engage thoughtfully, even when they disagree.
We realized we need more than just discussion: we need to support each other and extend that support to our local community. At our first meeting of the year, reflecting on the postelection climate, it became clear that many people we knew were struggling with similar emotions, such as fear, despair, and burnout. We wanted to offer a way to help. Since several mental health professionals are part of our group, the idea for a supportive workshop began to take shape. Together, we saw an opportunity to put the idea of sharing and mutual support into action, which inspired our upcoming workshop, Staying Strong and Grounded During Political Turmoil.
Scheduled for April 27 from 1:30-3:30 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, our Staying Strong and Grounded During Political Turmoil workshop is designed to help people manage their stress and emotions during these tumultuous times. We know that connection is key, and we wanted to create an event where people could come together and learn how to cope more effectively with the distress caused by our unprecedented political situation.
The workshop will cover strategies for stress relief, healthy boundary setting, and cultivating joy. We’ll also address how to navigate difficult conversations and relationships with empathy and understanding. In short, we’re providing tools to help people stay grounded and focused, no matter how overwhelming the world around us all may get.
As we reflect on how our chapter came to be, it’s impossible not to return to that email sent in July which sparked it all. It wasn’t just about finding alternatives to doomscrolling, it was about creating a space where we could step away from the cycle of despair and start acting with purpose. Our group is one example of how, when people are given the chance to connect, they can transform collective anxiety into action.
To RSVP for the workshop or join the chapter, please head to tinyurl.com/Iguana2152 or email questions to voicesforcommonground@proton.me.
For more information on Voices for Common Ground, visit tinyurl.com/Iguana2153.