Rich Harwood's Response to the September 10 Presidential Debate

hi I'm rich Harwood if you're like me you watched the presidential debate last night and regardless of who you might be supporting if you're like me well you left that debate feeling a bit unsettled two weeks ago I hosted a national Civic convention with folks from all across our country they told me that they're worried they're scared they're frustrated about the direction our country is heading in for two years running I hosted our annual Summit at the national Constitution Center the very place where the presidential debate was held last night the two conversations could not have been more different like you the folks I met with at the national Constitution Center don't want more divisive politics and like you people all across our country are hungry for A New Path forward a more hopeful path a path that focuses on what actually matters to each of us that's why I believe we need a new Civic path today a Civic path that begins in our local communities where we focus on our shared aspirations and figure out what we can agree on amid our real differences where we can get in motion together where we can start to take action together and where we can restore our belief in ourselves and in one another that we as Americans can actually come together and get things done now if you're feeling a bit worried or scared or anxious or maybe even some feeling of Despair about where we're heading the way to deal with those feelings is to join with others to get in motion and to start to build this New Path forward a new Civic path now I believe deeply that each of us needs to vote in November but I'm not here to tell you who to vote for nor am I here to do political analysis or make political predictions I'll leave all that stuff to someone else but here's what I do know we'd be wise to remind ourselves that the work we must do must begin in our local communities where we can come together with others and build build Brick by Brick neighborhood by neighborhood community by Community join us in this work