#civility

#civility

The Walrus Debate asks a timely question: Can Politics Be Civil Again? It brings together former political leaders to model respectful disagreement and explore dialogue's role in rebuilding public trust.

My husband and I are celebrating our six-year anniversary soon, and I've been reflecting on our first date. He took me to a restaurant, where I ordered a dinner salad. While enjoying this salad, a piece of lettuce fell from my fork onto the table. What would have been the proper way to handle this circumstance? Leave it on the table? Scoop it into a napkin? Place it on the corner of my plate? I've always wondered about this.

In 2008, the ten-year-old son of Rahm Emanuel, then a Democratic congressman, bet Mike Pence, then a Republican congressman, that Barack Obama would carry Pence's home state of Indiana in that year's Presidential election. Pence lost the bet-ten dollars-but never paid up. "Every time I see him, I tease him," Emanuel recounted recently. " 'You owe ten plus cumulative interest.' " Emanuel was seated at a table with Pence for a joint

Politics is replacing religion.

"There's no question we've lost sight of what makes travel fun - the excitement, the relaxation, the cordial conversations," the DOT's announcement reads. "Americans already feel divided and stressed. We can all do our part to bring back civility, manners and common sense. When we can unite around shared values, we can feel more connected as a country." Duffy's proposed fixes? Straightforward enough:

In Columbus, there is a popular route called the Olentangy Trail, which follows the Olentangy River. The trail is always busy, but on weekend mornings, it is especially so. Certain sections of the trail feel like a freeway - full of people, not cars. We run in singles, doubles, and packs. Some people are silent; some are loud. Some perform workouts, others jog, and some walk. But we are all doing the same thing, shoulder-to-shoulder - engaged in a common task.

The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.