January 22nd, 2023

Wyden's antidote for 
​divisiveness: 'The Oregon way'

Sen. Ron Wyden and LBCC President Lisa Avery

Among the many questions Sen. Ron Wyden fielded during his Linn County Town Hall on Jan. 11 at Linn-Benton Community College were two that focused on the divisiveness in Congress and the politics of personal destruction.
Like millions of others, Widen said he watched late last Friday night on TV from home in Portland as at least one Republican House member nearly slugged it out with another after the 14th vote for House speaker.
“We all know the country is more divided now. … I want to show something that’s different,” Wyden said, noting that there are two basics he adheres to and that have served him well during his long political career:
• Treat people with respect.
• See if you can find common ground.
“This is the alternative to the politics of personal destruction,” he said.
Wyden complimented the audience for its respectful tone during the hourlong Town Hall.
“What I saw on TV (last Friday), those people (in the House) could take lessons from the good people of Linn County,” he said.
Wyden also praised Cheyanne Rider, president of the LBCC Civil Discourse Program, who asked one of the questions.
LBCC President Lisa Avery said the college’s Civil Discourse Program is the only one of its kind in the country. Its mission is “to promote dialogue that enhances understanding among individuals with diverse viewpoints in an open and respectful environment.”
​“It’s about what we value,” Wyden said. “It’s the Oregon way — civil discourse."
— Graham Kislingbury
• This is what was on people's minds at Wyden's Linn County Town Hall (Jan. 11, Albany Democrat-Herald)

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