Have you seen (um, heard?) the tone of the letters to the editor in the local newspaper lately? Political discourse has deteriorated to the level of "You're dumb! Nah Nah and so's yer mother!" Name calling like I have not witnessed since grade school--and I am probably not giving the kids enough credit.
We have lost the ability to conduct civil discourse. I miss late William F Buckley Jr's turn of phase. Staunch conservative he was, but so well spoken. A touch of snark, perhaps, (well, more than a touch) but snark is better than a sneer. Killingly polite, was that man. He skewered all comers of all political ilks.
I have always found that I am more polite in writing than I might have been if speaking to the opposing view. The time it takes to write it out usually brings a more reasoned tone. Not so much these letters columns, and opinon pieces that I am reading (and railing at) .
Is intelligent disagreement impossible? I don't see how calling the opposition leftists, socialists, facists, or immoral advances anyone's cause. Nor am I amused by jingosim- smiling, shouted or otherwise. . I am not advocating being passionless, far from it. But who can hear any salient point above the noise?
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