Michael Lockhart's Page

"Where is the official link to TA meeting times and locations? I've been having trouble finding info in time to make it to meetings."

"Sorry I missed the meeting, couldn't use the car. Can someone fill me in about next steps?"

"Andrea - I'm enjoying this as well. I think the key is to use a group of like minds to "refuel" and then go out into the field for research and experimentation. Very different experiences, although it seems easier than expected to…"

"Maggie - growing up with guns would make a difference. My family never had a gun, and since I haven't fired one in over a decade, I would probably still have that "dangerous object" feeling. Like driving a truck for the first time,…"

"I've been noticing something about the dynamics of compassion... recently a victim of arson said in the paper that he forgave the arsonist and thought he needed mental health help. Often when victims go public that way, a lot of people who…"

"Now that I think of it, the feeling "liberals" get about guns may be similar to the feeling "values conservatives" get about gays. Interesting, if true."

"Maggie - I think a lot of people on the Left have a visceral reaction to guns, not just an abstract belief about them, but a gut feeling. I haven't fired a gun in many years, and would probably feel a little of that if I went to a shooting…"

"One issue everyone seems to agree on: ending slavery and human trafficking. That may be a centerpiece of future discussions, since it's so easy to generate agreement. Maybe also the Federal Reserve, but that's more abstract. I might float…"

"It's surprisingly simple and iterative: start with a person who has a conflict to bring, ask them who needs to be in the circle, contact those people and set up a meeting. A few questions are asked, probably familiar from other models:…"

"Went to Dominic Barter's workshop on Restorative Justice Circles. It seems like the model can be adapted very easily to set up Transpartisan dialogue circles. Has it been used that way? Circular processes seem to have the same logic regardless…"