By Herb Lape and Swati SrivastavaGuest essayApril 9, 2026 6:00 am This guest essay reflects the views of Herb Lape and Swati Srivastava, who together lead the Long Island Alliance of Braver Angels. My name is Herb Lape, a white man in Huntington, retired teacher of government and politics, and I am a conservative. And my name is Swati Srivastava, a brown woman in Bay Shore, an immigrant filmmaker, and I am a liberal.