OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Nikolas DeGroot hosts informal conversations called Politics in the Park in Oshkosh, aimed at reducing political division by normalizing respectful disagreement.
DeGroot launched the initiative after feeling the weight of the 2024 election.
"I was feeling a lot of anxiety and things after the election," DeGroot said.
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When asked what specifically was driving that anxiety, DeGroot pointed to a division he had witnessed firsthand.
"I think it's just the division that is pretty clear that exists. Speaking from experience and with my own family, I've seen infighting at the family level over political stuff," DeGroot said.
The group chats are intentionally small and have no barriers for entry. Today's session started at noon in Menominee Park and focused on veterans — a fitting topic following Memorial Day.
Politics in the Park has grown, but remains a tight-knit group. Elaine Coch, a board member of GroundFloor Democracy, the organization behind the initiative, recalled her first time attending.
"I was a little nervous, but Nico's very welcoming, and it was pretty quick to settle. There were only a couple of people; it wasn't a huge group," Coch said.
DeGroot says Politics in the Park is only the beginning of what he calls the "Civic Commons," which he describes as "the place for people to politically get started."
GroundFloor Democracy is also developing a civic game to help people explore democratic ideas through play. All of this is being done in the name of unity.
"We have to get better about coming together and having conversations about the things that we don't agree with so that we can better understand," DeGroot said.
DeGroot will host another Politics in the Park session tomorrow at Opera House Square. It will be the final session on veterans. For more information on when the group meets, visit this link.
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