Bringing the country together, one pancake at a time: Political discussion group disagrees agreeably

On a chilly January morning, in a room at Richard Walker’s Pancake House in Schaumburg, the wait staff shuttles in trays of savory breakfast fare to a large group tucked into a corner of the eatery.

But the roughly two dozen diners are not there just for a good meal. They’re getting ready to digest something far more controversial — political discourse that deeply divides most of the nation.

The group has been meeting regularly every other Tuesday for several years to discuss hot button issues in a civil forum. They are proof that you can disagree without, for the most part, being disagreeable. Members say they are bringing the country together, one pancake at a time.

Participants come armed not only with opinions, but also data, although they’re often challenged by others with data of their own.

While the debate can get heated at times, it rarely gets disrespectful, members say.

Flo Brinacombe of Schaumburg, who leads the group, has been coming for 15 years, since it was at a different location.

“This is the only place where people can go and say whatever they want, and nobody gets upset,” she said.

Tom Harrold of Hoffman Estates, who attends wearing a veteran’s shirt and cap, has been a regular for three or four years.

“Our goal is to bring people together,” he said. “I don't like the idea that the country is divided in half.”

The discussion, they hope, leads them to find common ground.

“What we started doing, and we've been successful at it thus far, was trying to find out what can we agree on,” Harrold said.

On this day, Harrold moderates and brings up Illinois and other states suing the Trump administration. The focus is on policies affecting transgender individuals.

It doesn’t take long, however, for the group to pivot to what one participant calls “the elephant in the room,” the recent federal agent-involved shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota.

Immediately, Harrold and Jim McGrath of Barrington are at odds, after McGrath says Pretti was “trying to protect a woman who was being bullied by the Gestapo.”

Harrold interrupts and reminds McGrath about the rules. He then asks, “Where did you get all the information? Were you there?”

“I’ve seen pictures,” McGrath responds. “Was Kristi Noem there? You guys are believing what she said.”

Arlington Heights resident Bill Davis cites polls with a majority wanting federal agents out of Minneapolis.

“Folks, I don't know if you understand the anger, the absolute anger, that is across the United States,” he says.

Schaumburg’s Mike Madia holds up a book titled “The Invisible Coup,” which he contends lays out “how the progressive left has little bit by little bit been trying to get control of the electoral college through immigration” for the last 75 years.

Eventually, the conversation is steered back to the original topic, which proves to be no less contentious though.

Throughout the morning, as coffee cups are refilled and breakfast plates cleared, new topics crop up.

They talk about the national debt. Sanctuary cities. Even the discontinuation of the penny makes for lighthearted debate.

Not that there aren’t raised voices, occasional bursts of outrage and fiery exchanges, but nobody gets too boisterous or storms out.

“Bill and I have agreed to disagree. But we have agreed we got to try to bring the country together,” Harrold said of Davis. “And we do this in a lot of ways. When we started out, Bill and I didn’t agree on much of anything. Now Bill and I agree on almost everything.”

McGrath said people he tells about the group suggest he shouldn’t associate with those on the other side of the political spectrum.

“I say, ‘You have to talk to those people,’” he said. “This is a good example of what we need to do — talk to one another.”

The meeting lasts roughly two hours before those gathered put down their napkins and set aside debates, living to argue another day.

And the next breakfast is something many look forward to.

“When friends can meet and can discuss the most emotional and chaotic situations, and are allowed to express their opinion, this is pure gold,” Davis said.