Crossing Party Lines: Chicagoland

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Birthright citizenship—granting citizenship to individuals born in the United States—has long been part of U.S. law, rooted in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. In recent years, it has become a topic of renewed discussion, with people expressing a range of perspectives about its meaning, purpose, and application.
At this meeting, we’ll explore how people understand birthright citizenship and how it fits into our country today.

We’ll ask questions such as:

• What does birthright citizenship mean to you, and how do you understand its purpose?
• How does birthright citizenship shape your sense of national identity or belonging?
• What benefits or challenges do you see associated with birthright citizenship?
• What do you think about the idea of exceptions or limits to birthright citizenship, if any?

This will be an opportunity to explore different perspectives on citizenship, identity, and how laws evolve over time.

Please do your best to arrive at the beginning of the meeting – once we are in breakout rooms and the conversations have started, the meeting doors close to new arrivals. The breakout rooms open (and the doors close) approximately 15 minutes after the hour.
We would love to hear your thoughts on our social media pages. Don't miss topic announcements, updates, news!

Follow us on:

• Instagram @crossingpartylines
• Twitter @crosspartylines
• Facebook @crossingpartylines

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The Whiskey Rebellion: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Frontier Rebels Who Challenged America’s Newfound Sovereignty, by William Hogeland, 2006, 302 pages

William Hogeland’s The Whiskey Rebellion (2006) provides a gripping, detailed account of the 1790s Western Pennsylvania uprising against federal excise taxes, portraying it as a crucial, violent struggle that established federal power. The book highlights how Alexander Hamilton's financial plans fueled class conflict between elite Easterners and rural Westerners, leading to an armed rebellion that prompted a massive military response from George Washington.

Key Aspects of the Book:
The Conflict: Small farmers and distillers in western Pennsylvania felt the federal excise tax on whiskey was a weapon for creditors and industrialists to exploit their rural economies.

Radical Movement: The book explores how organized "insurgents" used violence, such as tarring and feathering tax collectors, to resist the tax.
Hamilton's Agenda: Rather than just raising revenue, the book argues Hamilton designed the tax to force industrial growth and centralize power.

Washington's Response: Washington, influenced by Hamilton, viewed the unrest as a threat to national sovereignty, deploying a 13,000-man army—a larger force than some Continental army units—to suppress the uprising.
Focus on Key Figures: It highlights the role of figures like Herman Husband, an eccentric leader aiming for broader radical change.

The Whiskey Rebellion argues that while the tax was eventually repealed, the federal government's firm, disproportionate, and somewhat violent response permanently established the supremacy of federal authority over local resistance.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created to protect human health and the environment, but its role and scope continue to raise questions across the political spectrum. Some see it as essential for safeguarding air, water, and land, while others question how regulations affect economic growth, local control, and personal choice. At this meeting, we’ll explore how people think about environmental protection and the role of government in shaping it.

We’ll ask questions such as:

• How do you personally experience environmental protections (such as clean air, water, or land use) in your daily life?
• How will future generations experience the effects of today’s policies?
• In what ways do environmental regulations help or hinder communities, businesses, or individuals?
• How should decisions about environmental protection be made—at the federal, state, or local level?
• Do you think the EPA fulfills the role it was originally intended to?

This will be an opportunity to explore different perspectives on environmental responsibility, government involvement, and how we balance competing priorities.

Please do your best to arrive at the beginning of the meeting – once we are in breakout rooms and the conversations have started, the meeting doors close to new arrivals. The breakout rooms open (and the doors close) approximately 15 minutes after the hour.
We would love to hear your thoughts on our social media pages. Don't miss topic announcements, updates, news!

Follow us on:

• Instagram @crossingpartylines
• Twitter @crosspartylines
• Facebook @crossingpartylines

This event will be held online May 23 at 11am-1pm PT/2pm-5pm ET
Because we have been having issues with the correct date/time not showing up on Meetup, we encourage you to register at the link below to receive your Zoom link and confirmation email.
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Workshop Description
Media Bias. What is it? Why should we worry about it? Where and how can we spot it?
In this workshop, we'll look at media bias from several different angles and give you tips and tools for spotting it.
We begin by exploring what media bias is—and what it is not—through examples and discussion. You’ll notice what draws your attention, what makes you want to click, and how different types of content land with you. From there, we introduce simple, practical ways to spot bias, starting with quick, intuitive approaches like scanning and skimming, and moving toward deeper exploration through reading and deconstructing.

The second half of this workshop introduces techniques designed to help you:

• Notice your own reactions as you engage with media—and what might be driving them
• Identify how stories are being told, including what is emphasized, omitted, or implied
• Recognize how language, tone, and framing can subtly shape perception
• Explore how your own experiences and cognitive habits influence what feels credible or trustworthy

Prepare for the Workshop
Attendees: Before the meeting, please download and print the handouts, which are located on this page:
https://crossingpartylines.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Handout_Spotting_Media_Bias.pdf

ABOUT CPL Workshops
Get the training you need to effectively cross party lines. Crossing Party Lines provides a series of FREE classes teaching the skills we use to talk across differences. We teach proven, science-based techniques to foster curiosity, invite listening, and connect across differences.
We designed these techniques based on recent discoveries in such fields as cognitive science, neurobiology, and evolutionary psychology. Because understanding the partisan brain is central to the work of Crossing Party Lines, our workshops cover both the skills and some of the basic science behind them.

We would love to hear your thoughts on our social media pages. Don't miss topic announcements, updates, news!

Subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on:
• Instagram @crossingpartylines (Instagram.com/crossingpartylines)
• Twitter @crosspartylines (Twitter.com/CrossPartyLines)
• Facebook @crossingpartylines (Facebook.com/crossingpartylines)