Common Ground Common Sense is a dialogue about the future of our Country without regard to labels or political parties. We strive to lead our members in healthy debate on the issues that affect our lives with an emphasis on civility, inclusiveness, and tolerance. We are a non-partisan organization dedicated to the preservation of our freedoms and democracy.

In this diverse Nation, we come from different backgrounds and live different lifestyles, but there is more that unifies than separates us. We all share a spirit of Democracy, love of Liberty, and pride in our patriotic history. Every American is united in their quest for economic security, their desire for a cleaner environment, good schools for this nation’s children, more affordable healthcare for all – and of course, freedom and justice. We shouldn’t have to surrender our civil liberties for national security. It is our goal to use a common sense approach to seek that common ground!

Healthy debate is a positive thing. The CGCS administrators and moderators insist that our members observe a few common sense rules in engaging in this exchange:

Civility – Imagine attending a meeting to discuss political issues that affect our lives. You’ve just sat down at one of those long tables in a school cafeteria and the other members of CGCS have joined you at the table. Just as you would have a civil discussion with the person across the table from you in such a situation, we expect CGCS members to have civil discussions with their fellow forum members. The sharp "red/blue" line of partisan politics results from divisive rhetoric and the media's oversimplification of the issues at hand. The Internet is an ideal medium for countering this trend, but many observers have been critical of the lack of civility and thoughtfulness exhibited by participants in online communities. The CGCS team is dedicated to having the thoughtful, intelligent and substantive discussions which are lacking in most mass media and online forums.

Inclusiveness - The people at the meeting have diverse religious beliefs and ethnicity. Some are senior citizens and others are college students. There are people from red and blue states; members of the GLBT community and straights; working women and stay-at-home moms; blue collar workers, professional techies, corporate and government employees and members of the armed forces. Our goals require that the participants of this discussion recognize and respect that diversity.

Tolerance – We require that members be respectful to each other regarding different cultures, beliefs, opinions, and lifestyles, etc. represented here, even if you disagree with someone's views.

Organization - Please be sure to post your message in the most appropriate forum. Check to make sure no topic already exists on the subject of which you wish to post. Remember, the best way to be sure that everyone who is interested will see your message is to post it where it belongs!

At CGCS, it is our hope to bridge the gap between political labels and issues. By framing our debate as civil discussion of the issues with our fellow Americans, we are focused on finding common ground and not on political party or interest group agendas.

We hope that all of our members can appreciate our mission in the spirit in which it is offered: a call for concerned Americans to join together and continue the ongoing experiment in Liberty that the founders of our country began over 200 years ago!

Societal consensus always precedes significant social change, and civil discussion of issues is the first step in finding consensus. Welcome to the discussion!