A recent decision by a federal court will make it easier for a group known as "Arkansas Voters First" to get a ballot initiative in front of voters in the fall that could potentially end gerrymandering in Arkansas. The decision forgoes the need for witnesses and notarization when collecting the required signatures. Instead you can simply print or request a form be mailed from their website and then collect as many signatures as you are willing. This concession was needed because of the unusual...

My journey to Braver Angels began shortly after the 2016 election and was motivated by two separate, but equally powerful reasons. Like others, I was troubled by the growing resentment between “reds” and “blues” and the demonizing by many of anyone whose positions ran contrary to their own. Moreover, I found myself also wondering about the reasons why so many people pulled the level for Donald Trump, a man I saw as being completely disqualified for the role of president (and de facto role-mode...

Last July we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission that landed the first person on the moon. Recently we passed the same milestone of the safe return of the Apollo 13 crew to Earth after an explosion on board the spacecraft that could have easily killed all three astronauts. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned more about the political and cultural context in the U.S. and the rest of the world that surrounded these events in the late 1960’s. Protests regarding the civil rig...

I was recently encouraged to see the March issue of "The Rotarian" put a spotlight on the exodus of refugees from Venezuela, which is growing in scope, but not necessarily in coverage. The article was able to put a personal spin on a humanitarian crisis that is affecting millions by highlighting the unique stories of three refugees. Having recently returned from attending an international project fair in Colombia, I experienced the struggle of those fleeing Venezuela in person. In Cali, enti...

A run-off election for two state legislature positions was recently held in Northwest Arkansas so that the final slate of candidates advancing to the general election in November could be determined.  A run-off is triggered in a primary if no candidate in a single contest wins a clear majority.  This is not an unlikely outcome when there are more than two candidates running and support is fairly evenly balanced among them.  If ranked-choice voting was utilized in state elections, then holding a ...