Category: Speaker

Category to indicate a forum is a single speaker.

Political Polarization: Can We Overcome It?

Carl Angotti

11 a.m., January 26, 2025

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we welcome Carl Angotti to speak and lead a discussion.

Few countries face polarization as deep as America’s. Sometimes, conflicts seem insurmountable. We look at societal issues and political polarization, and it’s hard to see a way forward.

Democrats and Republicans used to disagree on policy issues — Disagreements are the normal, helpful tension that drives democracy. Today, each side of this polarity gap fears the other will destroy the nation if they achieve power. Partisanship becomes equated with patriotism, and destroying the other side becomes the ultimate goal. This is how democracies fall apart.

Join us for a lively discussion on how we might bridge the gaps between us and learn to see others as humans responding to experiences they have, not as gullible, stupid, irrational, or even evil.

Speaker Bio
Carl Angotti is the current Treasurer of the Humanist Community. He is a long-time member of the Community and has been active for over 30 years. He has spoken at several Forums in the past. Carl also characterizes himself as a member of the “Radical Middle” and wishes us to learn to break down the present political and personal barriers to the current divided political environment.
Carl consults in High Tech Product Development, and he holds an MBA from San Jose State University, an MSEE from the University of Southern California, and a BSEE from Carnegie-Mellon University.

01/26/2025 Political Polarization: Can We Overcome It? – Carl Angotti from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

Attend in Person:
Join fellow Humanists to consider the propositions in Milpitas Library Group Study Room B, 160 N Main St, Milpitas, CA 95035.
Often after our meeting, we find a nearby inexpensive eatery for a luncheon.
If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

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RSVP on Meetup:
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Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
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Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

Share our event on Patch: https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20250126/d681fc5b-107e-4039-8847-073bbb23a2ea/political-polarization-can-we-overcome-it

Our Own Secular Strategic Planning for 2025 and Beyond

Judy Banister

11 a.m., January 19, 2025

Join us for a combined meeting of The Atheist Community of San Jose and the Humanist Community, either in person or online, as we discuss how to approach 2025.

The change in our national leadership will likely bring with it a greatly increased influence of white Christian nationalism. Indeed, many in the new government may attempt to use the power and wealth of both the federal and state governments to enhance their religious views and embed them in our regulations and laws. Many secular values will continue to be under attack. As secular Americans, we can – and must – choose how we will respond to this situation, and what actions to take to encourage and expand the positive impact of non-religious Americans in these trying times.

How do you feel?

  • Are you discouraged and inclined to focus on your life and ignore the wider situation?
  • Are you angry and searching for effective ways to counter the current religious and political trends in the U.S.?
  • Are you looking for proactive strategies for continuing American progress in many realms even as Christian nationalists strive to turn back the clock?
  • How are you planning to strengthen yourself and our community to assure our effectiveness?

Judy Banister will lead us in a discussion of what our members are thinking and planning to defend ourselves, our views, and our practices. A special invitation goes to any other individuals or members of non-religious groups who are interested in this topic to join us.

Ms. Banister is on the Board of the Atheist Community of San Jose and a member of most of our local secular organizations. She became an atheist at age 18 and has never wavered from this clarity. Judy will present some strategic ideas for our secular community in these challenging times and help us all to explore your ideas for what we as individuals, families, and fellow nontheists can do in the coming months and years.

01/19/2025 Our Own Secular Strategic Planning for 2025 and Beyond – Judy Banister from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

Attend in Person:
On the first and third Sunday of the month, such as this Sunday, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists at the Mountain View Senior Center, 266 Escuela Ave., Mountain View, CA 94040. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation for lunch.

If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
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Like us on Facebook:
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Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2025-01-19/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/305604963/

Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20250119/fcc8df10-53be-4035-9371-a17180f6f5fd/our-own-secular-strategic-planning-for-2025-and-beyond

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1879067791996993963

Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

ACSJ Presents: The Stone Age Brain Meets the Disinformation Age

Bertha Vazquez

3:30 p.m., November 10, 2024

The Atheist Community of San Jose invites the Humanist Community to an in-person presentation by Bertha Vazquez. Here is the description from their announcement at: https://www.meetup.com/acofsj/events/304311948/

We all like to think we’re rational and logical, but the truth is that our brains are riddled with cognitive biases and shortcuts that can lead us astray. These mental shortcuts, once essential for our survival, now make us vulnerable to misinformation and disinformation. The abundance of information in the digital age exacerbates this problem, as we’re constantly bombarded with claims and counterclaims. To navigate this complex landscape, we must cultivate a healthy dose of skepticism and critical thinking. By recognizing our cognitive biases, questioning assumptions, and seeking credible sources, we can better protect ourselves from the dangers of misinformation and make informed decisions. Let’s explore together how we are successfully overcoming the shortcomings of our modern human brains as they have evolved over eons.

Bio:
Bertha Vazquez is a retired science teacher who taught middle school for 34 years in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. She is the Education Director and the Director of the Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science at The Center for Inquiry, an international nonprofit organization that promotes reason and science. She runs a teacher-led network of over 100 teachers who have presented over 400 professional development sessions for their fellow teachers in all 50 US States. Her multi-faceted approach to teaching climate science has been featured in the New York Times, NPR, Earth magazine, and in a book and film series by Lynne Cherry titled, Empowering Young Voices for the Planet. Her efforts awarded her the 2008 National Environmental Education Charles C Bartlett Award, among others. She is the editor and contributing author of the book, On Teaching Evolution, published in 2021 and lead author of Corwin Press’ What Teachers Want to Know About Teaching Climate Change (February 2025). Ms. Vazquez has also worked in several translation projects, including the translation of Maria Jinich’s book into English, A Brief History of Four Billion Years of Evolution: Understanding Darwin. A regular contributor to Skeptical Inquirer magazine and speaker at skeptical and humanist conferences, Bertha is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.

Bertha Vazquez has presented several times at CSICon (including CSICon 2024) and the following review was published in the Skeptical Inquirer Magazine, March/April 2019:
“Watching her on stage at CSICon it’s clear that TIES (The Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science) owes much of its success to the force of her presence and personality. Her enthusiasm for her subject is utterly contagious. Her drive to learn, discover, and share her knowledge is undeniable. She’s a true renaissance woman.”

This event will be held at the Campbell Community Center, 1 W. Campbell Avenue # C-31 in Campbell, California. Go to the Mary Campbell Room number Q84, which is right next to the Community Center’s Campbell Parking Lot just off of Campbell Avenue.

Project 2025: The Religious Right’s Attempt to Dump Democracy

Fish Stark

11 a.m., November 3, 2024

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, for a conversation with Fish Stark, the American Humanist Association’s new Executive Director. We’ll talk everything Project 2025:
What it is,
what sets it apart as a grave threat,
and how you can get involved to stop it!

Fish Stark is an organizer, educator, social entrepreneur, and lifelong humanist. Fish has spent his career turning big ideas into bold action in service of belonging, flourishing, and social justice for all people.

If you can’t join us Sunday, the Bay Area Humanists (BAH) are hosting Fish on Saturday at 3 pm, on the same topic. Here’s the announcement for the BAH event:
https://www.meetup.com/sfhumanists/events/304066769/
(Remember that US Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend.)

11/03/2024 Project 2025 – Fish Stark from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

Attend in Person:
On the first and third Sunday of the month, such as this Sunday, you can attend our forum in person with fellow humanists at the Mountain View Senior Center, 266 Escuela Ave., Mountain View, CA 94040. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation for lunch.

If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
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Add this event to your Google calendar:

Like us on Facebook:
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Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2024-11-03/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/304279382/

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1851435123801276686

Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

Discussion of the 11 California State Propositions

Photo by Juliana Yamada for CalMatters, https://calmatters.org/.

10:30 a.m., October 13, 2024

There are eleven propositions on the California ballot for this election. Sometimes deciding how to vote on one or more of these issues is a challenge.

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we discuss the pros and cons of each of these propositions. Some are fairly straightforward and understandable, while others are less so. We can learn more about the propositions using online information regarding what is available from relatively neutral sources, as well as from their proponents.

Together, we’ll discuss and learn more about these propositions and perhaps find out more about who is supporting them, and what is available online about them.

The meeting will be presented and facilitated by Carl Angotti and Alex Havasy, both longtime voters and members of the Humanist Community in Silicon Valley. (Notice that we’re starting at 10:30 AM.)

10/13/2024 California Propositions from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

Attend in Person:
Join fellow Humanists to consider the propositions in Milpitas Library Group Study Room B, 160 N Main St, Milpitas, CA 95035.
Often after our meeting, we find a nearby inexpensive eatery for a luncheon.
If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

———-

Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

You can also call any of the following phone numbers and then enter the above Meeting ID and the Passcode in order to join the meeting by phone.
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
You can find international phone numbers to call here.

———-

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
webcal://p162-caldav.icloud.com/published/2/Mjk3Nzk1MTgyMjk3Nzk1MRBa7aU6zKSIJMfDjhqBP8r3muvKK3GLLCRnZoCneHpXv08CyGJAJRVI5yyh-SVWxGJE9xHfdUs72pmiBNlOBpY

Add this event to your Google calendar:

Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2024-10-13/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/303946070/

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/1844496428053430377

Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508