Some things never change. I do not wish to engage in a weeks-long battle of wits (which, based on prior experience, I know would happen), so I will simply say that this will be my final post on the subject of civility.
Perhaps the best example of that which I think we should aspire to is the relationship between President Ronald Reagan (Conservative) and Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill (Liberal). These two men led our country, one as President, one as Speaker, from polar opposite sides of the ideological spectrum. They continually fought with ferocity for the policies they believed in, however, they (usually) avoided making it personal. The running joke was that "before 6p.m. it's all politics; after 6p.m. we're friends."
The bottom line is this: The free and open exchange of ideas is not analogous to a math problem. While there are many strongly held positions, when it comes to ideas, there usually is no absolute truth. The point is to encourage people to read, to think, and to inform themselves such that they become more engaged in what's going around them. Petty invective and personal attacks do nothing of the sort.
2 comments:
When you get a chance, can you write a post about why Ronald Reagan was a great president (if you think he was). I'm not trying to start a fight. I have heard conservatives call him our greatest president. I just would like to know why.
I feel that interesting reading and thoughts comes from deep thinking and debating about intellectual ideas and arguments. I like to see both sides, as long as they are respectful of each other.
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