We call upon tech entrepreneurs, existing social networking companies, or organizations with an interest in improving our national political discourse to create a new social network (or a new feature of an existing network) that encourages conversation across the political divide.

Here is one idea for such a network: www.AuthorFreeman.com/AmericaTalking

America has never been more divided, leading to problems in our politics that will only get worse as this essential alienation from ourselves and our democratic roots continues to grow:

• Online echo chambers in which misinformation and conspiracy theories run rampant.
• The demonization of political opponents.
• The discarding of rational discourse based on mutually acknowledged facts as a way to deal with the challenges we face.

We've seen the power of "the algorithm" to shape users' experiences on social networks. We urge you to serve this nation that we all love by creating a forum in which the algorithm incentivizes engagement between the political parties. If you build such a network, we pledge to join it, to be active participants in it, and to promote it to our friends on both sides of the divide to the best of our abilities.

And we'll demonstrate our commitment right now by sharing this petition with all our circles.