24 Mar, 2023
Golden Rule Week is coming! Are you ready to join?
Golden Rule Week is coming! Are you ready to join? by Melinda Burrell 525 words It was a bright, busy...
16 Feb, 2023
Trouble in town? Send in the Maroon People!
Trouble in town? Send in the Maroon People! by Melinda Burrell 537 words Somewhere in Dayton, Ohio, a 13-year-old girl...
21 Dec, 2022
You had me healthy at hello: How holiday cheer benefits all of us
You had me healthy at hello: How holiday cheer benefits all of us by Melinda Burrell 455 words Published in:...
7 Dec, 2022
What’s in a speech? Rebuilding a welcoming political culture
“I want to thank all of you, because there's no excuses in life, and I'm not going to make excuses now because we put up one heck of a fight.”
5 Nov, 2022
Helping create peace at the polls
I love getting my “I Voted” sticker on Election Day, after chatting with other voters in line and carefully following poll workers’ instructions for marking my choices. Having worked in many places where voting is a relatively new right, I cherish all of this.
22 Oct, 2022
Your brain on elections
“I’m afraid what Thanksgiving will be like, no matter how the election turns out,” a friend commented. She’s not wrong to be worried. Elections bring up all sorts of emotions and behaviors that create division. Understanding our “brains on elections” can help.
27 Jul, 2022
Remember when it wasn’t normal to punch flight attendants?
“It didn’t matter if it was coming from the left or the right, you should condemn violence 100 percent of the time.” I sat upright when former Deputy Press Secretary Sara Matthews said this during the July 21 January 6th committee hearing.
11 Jul, 2022
21st century citizenship: Four civic skills we need to keep our democracy
As primaries roll out around the country, we’re tracking voter turnout. Raised on Schoolhouse Rock’s cartoon civics lessons, I know that being a good American means voting.
15 Jun, 2022
Is our democracy at risk? Actions we all can take to protect it
“The threats became much more specific, much more graphic, and included not just me by name but included members of my family…” ...
1 Jun, 2022
Why would I talk to them? Research shows we can talk across our political divides
As we look at the pictures from Uvalde, Buffalo, and other mass shootings, we’re having agonized conversation...
7 May, 2022
What have you done for me lately? Using elections to rebuild trust
The leaked draft Supreme Court opinion on Roe v Wade roused rage from both left and right.
8 Apr, 2022
Conflict dynamics
Conflict dynamics by Melinda Burrell 586 words Russian atrocities in Ukraine horrify us all, particularly knowing many Russians consider Ukrainians...
25 Mar, 2022
Eat a cookie? Quick neuroscience tips for navigating uncertain times
“This plate of cookies is for us, but that one is for the neighbors.” My brother and I had just gotten home for Christmas vacation, and Mom was catching us up on preparations. Even as an adult, I loved this.
11 Mar, 2022
Finding our Inner Ukrainian
As we watch Ukrainians defend their country from a brutal onslaught, many of us are seeking ways to engage. We’re donating money, lighting buildings with blue and yellow, analyzing President’s Zelensky’s inspiring leadership.
10 Feb, 2022
Can Reds and Blues be friends?
The way things are going these days, Dr. Melinda Burrell, long-time Democratic activist and researcher, and Greg Schumacher, retired Army Major General and Chairman, Fauquier County Republican Committee, aren’t supposed to be able to have civil conversations...