Letters to the Editor: Could intellectually opposed pen pals help bridge our divides?

To the editor: I appreciated the psychology of Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz’s op-ed calling on all to have an open mind regarding our own intellectual rigidity (“Rosh Hashanah can be a time of renewal for nation in conflict,” Sept. 22). He’s correct that we will never end our chaotic crises until we can talk.

He gave me an idea: What if we created a space that pairs two willing people of opposing points of view as pen pals? Just two people, engaged in civil conversation. It’s more personal than online screaming, but less dangerous than in-person confrontation. Both people would also have the room to express their thoughts clearly, attuned to what might reach the other person, and the time to read and consider the other point of view before responding. I would like to try this.

Marianne Hunter, Rancho Palos Verdes