While the opening of the Declaration of In dependence gets the fanfare and the fireworks&mdash\;&ldquo\;When in the c ourse of human events&rdquo\; and all that&mdash\;the closing clause conta ins a quiet promise: &ldquo\;We mutually pledge to each other our Lives\, our Fortunes\, and our sacred Honor.&rdquo\; When we talk about the foundi ng\, we often think of it as a severing from a distant power and a proclam ation of individual rights. And yet\, buried in that big individualistic o rigin story\, there is a pledge of support\, solidarity\, and mutual aid. Today\, as we witness political violence\, hostility\, and polarization\, this facilitated conversation invites us to explore what it means for us t o be bound to one another and to ask ourselves: Is there any idea\, any va lue\, any dream for the future that we care about enough to tie ourselves to one another to protect or pursue it? What would it mean to &ldquo\;mutu ally pledge&rdquo\; ourselves to one another today? What would it look lik e? Feel like? Is it even possible?
\nThis is a \;Conversation Project \;program sponsored by Oregon Human ities. For fifty years\, Oregon Humanities has offered programs and public ations that help Oregonians connect\, reflect\, and learn from one another . The Conversation Project brings people together to talk about their beli efs and experiences around timely and important issues and ideas. \;\n
About the Facilitator
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Wendy Willis is the foundi ng director of Oregon's Kitchen Table\, a statewide community engagement p rogram housed at Portland State University. She is also a poet\, an essayi st\, a stitcher\, and a self-proclaimed democracy geek. Wendy was raised i n Springfield but now lives with her family in Portland.
\nQuestions ? Contact \;emilyc @deschuteslibrary.org \;
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