I read with interest, and applaud, Ms. Brennan’s recent letter to the editor calling for discussion “with people whose ideas you don’t like.” Hers is an excellent point and timely. Midterm elections are coming up — vitriol, deception and demonizing already starting to raise their ugly heads. We clearly need understanding with calm and reasoned conversation. But, all is not well in the reasoned conversation department.

Even Ms. Brennan’s letter falls into the all-too-familiar dialectic that goes something like: heed my call for reasoned conversation; base that conversation on my set of facts (with some value-laden adjectives thrown in to steer things my way); therefore, reason in such a way as to ultimately agree with me.

For instance, and contrary to Ms. Brennan’s assertions, America did not “overwhelmingly” vote no confidence “in the leftist ideology of President Obama.” President Trump lost the popular vote by three million votes, 53.8 percent of Americans voted for Democratic Party senators (42.4 percent for Republicans), while only 49.1 percent of Americans voted for Republican Party representatives (48 percent for Democrats). Figures do not add up to 100 percent because of third parties. Gerrymandering and the vagaries of the Electoral College were overwhelmingly responsible for Republican Party victories. If “overwhelming” has any meaning at all, then 42.4 and 49.1 percentages are not even whelming.

Further, Ms. Brennan spends a third of her letter rehashing the “basket of deplorables” comment by Hillary Clinton, made at a fundraiser a year and a half — and one presidential election — ago, about which Ms. Clinton apologized the next day. Not a terribly useful way to “offer a fresh perspective” to anyone whose perspective is not freshly salted with a right-leaning taste. If only others would take Ms. Clinton’s approach and immediately apologize when called out either for blatant lying, prurient conversation in the public sphere, or savaging whole groups of people.

The above to the contrary notwithstanding, I am encouraged that there are individuals who wish to “think, learn, and listen” as Ms. Brennan calls for us to do. The recent experience of citizens from Leverett who traveled to Letcher County, Kentucky to think, learn and listen to those of other experiences and conclusions should inspire us all.

Could we set up “TLL” groups in our valley? Would individuals take time and energy to attend such meetings of different-minded people? Would the conversations not devolve into diatribes? Would people resource their facts? Would pizza be served? If all of the above, then count me in.

Richard Tillberg

Whately