Lisa Silvestri, a professor at Penn State University, reflects on the deep emotional stakes of political disagreement, describing her post-2024 election disillusionment as a kind of heartbreak rooted in love for her country. Drawing from her upbringing in a loud Philadelphia household, she sees conflict not as dysfunction but as a sign of care—a refusal to disengage. Her hope persists. For her, choosing vulnerability over cynicism is essential to living fully and resisting the temptation to turn away from those we love, even when they vote differently. Her latest book is Peace By Peace. 

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