Learning How to Disagree

This letter to the editor, by Tammy Tollefson, appeared in the Hudson Star Observer on April 23, 2026.

I was one of more than 100 Hudson area residents who attended the Braver Angels “Skills for Disagreeing Better” workshop on April 14 and I left wondering why we don’t do this more often.

The evening focused on four simple but powerful skills: listening, acknowledging, pivoting and perspective. What struck me most was how hungry people were for this kind of conversation: neighbors genuinely trying to understand each other across real differences.

Credit goes to the organizers who made it possible: the Hudson YMCA, the Hudson Rotary Clubs and the Golden Rule Initiative. These are organizations that invest in this community’s future, including the example we set for our young people about how adults can disagree with grace.

I hope this is the first of many. Hudson is better when we talk to each other.