Political Polarization: Can We Overcome It?

Carl Angotti

11 a.m., January 26, 2025

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we welcome Carl Angotti to speak and lead a discussion.

Few countries face polarization as deep as America’s. Sometimes, conflicts seem insurmountable. We look at societal issues and political polarization, and it’s hard to see a way forward.

Democrats and Republicans used to disagree on policy issues — Disagreements are the normal, helpful tension that drives democracy. Today, each side of this polarity gap fears the other will destroy the nation if they achieve power. Partisanship becomes equated with patriotism, and destroying the other side becomes the ultimate goal. This is how democracies fall apart.

Join us for a lively discussion on how we might bridge the gaps between us and learn to see others as humans responding to experiences they have, not as gullible, stupid, irrational, or even evil.

Speaker Bio
Carl Angotti is the current Treasurer of the Humanist Community. He is a long-time member of the Community and has been active for over 30 years. He has spoken at several Forums in the past. Carl also characterizes himself as a member of the “Radical Middle” and wishes us to learn to break down the present political and personal barriers to the current divided political environment.
Carl consults in High Tech Product Development, and he holds an MBA from San Jose State University, an MSEE from the University of Southern California, and a BSEE from Carnegie-Mellon University.

01/26/2025 Political Polarization: Can We Overcome It? – Carl Angotti from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

Attend in Person:
Join fellow Humanists to consider the propositions in Milpitas Library Group Study Room B, 160 N Main St, Milpitas, CA 95035.
Often after our meeting, we find a nearby inexpensive eatery for a luncheon.
If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
webcal://p162-caldav.icloud.com/published/2/Mjk3Nzk1MTgyMjk3Nzk1MRBa7aU6zKSIJMfDjhqBP8r3muvKK3GLLCRnZoCneHpXv08CyGJAJRVI5yyh-SVWxGJE9xHfdUs72pmiBNlOBpY

Add this event to your Google calendar:

Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2025-01-26/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/305139264/

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1881909846095941903

Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

Share our event on Patch: https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20250126/d681fc5b-107e-4039-8847-073bbb23a2ea/political-polarization-can-we-overcome-it

Our Own Secular Strategic Planning for 2025 and Beyond

Judy Banister

11 a.m., January 19, 2025

Join us for a combined meeting of The Atheist Community of San Jose and the Humanist Community, either in person or online, as we discuss how to approach 2025.

The change in our national leadership will likely bring with it a greatly increased influence of white Christian nationalism. Indeed, many in the new government may attempt to use the power and wealth of both the federal and state governments to enhance their religious views and embed them in our regulations and laws. Many secular values will continue to be under attack. As secular Americans, we can – and must – choose how we will respond to this situation, and what actions to take to encourage and expand the positive impact of non-religious Americans in these trying times.

How do you feel?

  • Are you discouraged and inclined to focus on your life and ignore the wider situation?
  • Are you angry and searching for effective ways to counter the current religious and political trends in the U.S.?
  • Are you looking for proactive strategies for continuing American progress in many realms even as Christian nationalists strive to turn back the clock?
  • How are you planning to strengthen yourself and our community to assure our effectiveness?

Judy Banister will lead us in a discussion of what our members are thinking and planning to defend ourselves, our views, and our practices. A special invitation goes to any other individuals or members of non-religious groups who are interested in this topic to join us.

Ms. Banister is on the Board of the Atheist Community of San Jose and a member of most of our local secular organizations. She became an atheist at age 18 and has never wavered from this clarity. Judy will present some strategic ideas for our secular community in these challenging times and help us all to explore your ideas for what we as individuals, families, and fellow nontheists can do in the coming months and years.

01/19/2025 Our Own Secular Strategic Planning for 2025 and Beyond – Judy Banister from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

Attend in Person:
On the first and third Sunday of the month, such as this Sunday, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists at the Mountain View Senior Center, 266 Escuela Ave., Mountain View, CA 94040. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation for lunch.

If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
webcal://p162-caldav.icloud.com/published/2/Mjk3Nzk1MTgyMjk3Nzk1MRBa7aU6zKSIJMfDjhqBP8r3muvKK3GLLCRnZoCneHpXv08CyGJAJRVI5yyh-SVWxGJE9xHfdUs72pmiBNlOBpY

Add this event to your Google calendar:

Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2025-01-19/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/305604963/

Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20250119/fcc8df10-53be-4035-9371-a17180f6f5fd/our-own-secular-strategic-planning-for-2025-and-beyond

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1879067791996993963

Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

David Frum on Trump’s “Predatory” Foreign Policy

David Frum

11 a.m., January 12, 2025

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we discuss an interview with David Frum from Amanapour and Company, America’s Lonely Future: David Frum on Trump’s “Predatory” Foreign Policy. With Trump’s inauguration on the horizon, conversations continue about the impact of the President-elect’s policies both at home and abroad.

David Jeffrey Frum is a Canadian-American political commentator and former speechwriter for President George W. Bush. He is considered a voice in the neoconservative movement. In his latest piece for The Atlantic, “America’s Lonely Future,” Frum warns that the U.S. could become a global bully.

Walter Seff Isaacson is an American journalist and an interviewer for the PBS and CNN news show Amanpour & Company.

Amanapour and Company is a late-night global-affairs interview television program hosted by Christiane Amanapour.

You can watch this 18-minute video on:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIeUigGZktk

This Sunday, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists in the Orchard Room at the Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos, CA 94022. (On the first and third Sunday of the month, you can continue to attend our forum at the Mountain View Senior Center.)

We may choose, as a group, to visit a restaurant for lunch afterwards in downtown Los Altos near the library.

If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
webcal://p162-caldav.icloud.com/published/2/Mjk3Nzk1MTgyMjk3Nzk1MRBa7aU6zKSIJMfDjhqBP8r3muvKK3GLLCRnZoCneHpXv08CyGJAJRVI5yyh-SVWxGJE9xHfdUs72pmiBNlOBpY

Add this event to your Google calendar:

Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2025-01-12/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/305532168/

Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20250112/231bf693-cf61-46c7-8c97-d82f43d3efe4/david-frum-on-trump-s-predatory-foreign-policy

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1877612972962623905

Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

“A Love Letter to Realism” and a lightning Annual Meeting

Mark Pollock + Simone George speak at TED2018 – The Age of Amazement, April 10 – 14, 2018, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Photo: Ryan Lash / TED

11 a.m., January 5, 2025

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we watch “A Love Letter to Realism”, followed by a no-frills, lightning-fast Annual Membership meeting, closing with a discussion of the video.

When faced with life’s toughest circumstances, how should we respond: as an optimist, a realist or something else? In an unforgettable talk, explorer Mark Pollock and human rights lawyer Simone George explore the tension between acceptance and hope in times of grief — and share the groundbreaking work they’re undertaking to cure paralysis.

About the speakers:
Mark Pollock was the first blind person to race to the South Pole. Now he’s exploring the intersection where humans and technology collide on a new expedition to cure paralysis in our lifetime.
Driven by a belief in fairness. Simone George is a human rights lawyer and activist.

You can preview this 19-minute, April 2018 video at:
https://www.ted.com/talks/mark_pollock_and_simone_george_a_love_letter_to_realism_in_a_time_of_grief?subtitle=en

Attend in Person:
On the first and third Sunday of the month, such as this Sunday, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists at the Mountain View Senior Center, 266 Escuela Ave., Mountain View, CA 94040. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation for lunch.

If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
webcal://p162-caldav.icloud.com/published/2/Mjk3Nzk1MTgyMjk3Nzk1MRBa7aU6zKSIJMfDjhqBP8r3muvKK3GLLCRnZoCneHpXv08CyGJAJRVI5yyh-SVWxGJE9xHfdUs72pmiBNlOBpY

Add this event to your Google calendar:

Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2025-01-05/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/305371326/?isFirstPublish=true

Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20250105/91ec2036-0079-4610-a764-7e4d10484c39/a-love-letter-to-realism-and-a-lightning-annual-meeting

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1874646491312349614

Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

Thorium is Back!

Simon Whistler https://www.instagram.com/p/BuOcFxHA49u/

11 a.m., December 22, 2024

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we watch and discuss a video from Megaprojects, Thorium Reactors: Why is this Technology Quite So Exciting, in which Simon Whistler covers the awakening interest in thorium nuclear reactors, its history and problems, and its promise of safe and nearly unlimited power for the coming decades until fusion reactors prove viable.

Megaprojects, which is about “humanity’s greatest achievements”, is one of 16 YouTube channels in the Whistler-Verse that Mr. Whistler either presents or directs. His videos have two billion views.
You can preview this 21-minute video from earlier this month at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSFo_92cJ-U

For an added attraction, consider the animated sketch, Why Thorium rocks — Science Sundays from Sam O’Nella Academy (four minutes):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjM9E6d42-M

Attend in Person:
Join fellow Humanists to consider the propositions in Milpitas Library Group Study Room B, 160 N Main St, Milpitas, CA 95035.
Often after our meeting, we find a nearby inexpensive eatery for a luncheon.
If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
webcal://p162-caldav.icloud.com/published/2/Mjk3Nzk1MTgyMjk3Nzk1MRBa7aU6zKSIJMfDjhqBP8r3muvKK3GLLCRnZoCneHpXv08CyGJAJRVI5yyh-SVWxGJE9xHfdUs72pmiBNlOBpY

Add this event to your Google calendar:

Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2024-12-22/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/305139264/

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1869202067069567151

Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

Share our event on Patch: https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20241222/f9ed2c63-069f-4919-8c59-e9f6212b9db0/thorium-is-back