10 Nov 2026 05:00
How to Find Common Ground in a Divided World | Major General Charles Bolden - EP 844
What does it mean to live the American dream? And what responsibility do we have to make that dream possible for others?
In this special Veterans Day episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with Major General Charles Bolden, former NASA administrator, Marine combat pilot, and astronaut, for a powerful conversation about Astronauts for America, the Constitution, democracy, and our shared responsibility to bridge America's growing divisions.
Growing up in the Jim Crow South, Bolden experienced firsthand how exclusion can limit people's opportunities. His parents, both educators, instilled in him the importance of education, responsibility, and service. Those values would guide him through a remarkable career spanning military aviation, space exploration, and national leadership.
In this conversation, you'll discover:
- Why Astronauts for America was created: The concerns that brought former astronauts together to defend the Constitution, democracy, and the principles that define America.
- What it means to defend the Constitution: Why Bolden believes our oath is to the Constitution, not to an individual or political party.
- How to find common ground in a divided world: Bolden's practical approach to beginning conversations with people whose political beliefs differ dramatically from our own.
- Why civil discourse matters: How the erosion of respectful dialogue threatens our ability to solve problems and govern ourselves.
- What the American dream really means: How Bolden's experiences growing up in the Jim Crow South shaped his understanding of opportunity, inclusion, and citizenship.
- How former enemies became friends: The remarkable story of Bolden and Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, whose conversation about their children helped transform their relationship.
- Why belonging is essential to democracy: Bolden's argument that inclusion means ensuring people feel they have a place in our society and a voice in its future.
- What we owe the next generation: Why America's future depends on the choices we make today and our willingness to take responsibility for the country we leave behind.
Bolden's message is both challenging and hopeful: we don't have to agree on everything to work toward something better. We can begin by listening, finding what we share, and remembering that the people on the other side of a disagreement are human beings with families, hopes, and futures of their own.
Through Astronauts for America, he is putting those principles into action, encouraging Americans to engage, learn, participate, and rediscover the common ground that makes collective progress possible.
This conversation challenges us to consider a fundamental question: What does it mean to defend America's principles and help create a future where everyone has the opportunity to belong?
Check the full shownotes here.
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