Karen Pontius and Sidny Zink didn't know each other when they met at the KSUT studios last August for a One Small Step conversation. Sidny grew up in Nebraska and is a retired CPA; Karen was raised in Los Angeles and is a retired air traffic controller.
One Small Step pairs strangers with opposing beliefs for a conversation focused not on politics, but on getting to know one another.
Watch Sidny and Karen's conversation
The two women begin the conversation by identifying the differences in their politics. Sidny calls herself a conservative and is a longtime Republican. Karen is a proud “Berniecrat” and supporter of Democratic Socialism.
But they soon find a shared history as women who worked in male-dominated professions. They trace the roots of their different perspectives to where they grew up. And they both share the feeling that their political beliefs are misunderstood.
Sidny and Karen’s conversation were edited for broadcast. Listen to the unedited conversation.
KSUT is part of a group of six public radio stations partnering with StoryCorps to host One Small Step.
StoryCorps’ One Small Step station hubs is made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.