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Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation, by George Washington
Luckily we’re not left to guess about how our Founding Fathers might have advised us on civility. George Washington left us 110 rules, such as:
69th If two contend together take not the part of either unconstrained; and be not obstinate in your own Opinion. . .
86th In Disputes, be not So Desireous to Overcome as not to give Liberty to each one to deliver his Opinion. . .
Here’s one rule we consider non-negotiable:
9th Spit not in the Fire, nor Stoop low before it neither Put your Hands into the Flames to warm them, nor Set your Feet upon the Fire especially if there be meat before it.
Declaration on Civility and Inclusive Leadership, David Abshire and Max Kampelman, Center for the Study of the Presidency
Declaration on Civility and Inclusive Leadership challenges us to a higher standard of national leadership:
Civility and inclusive leadership are proven means of bridging political
divisions and forging national unity and commitment. National resolve and unity of purpose are essential for marshalling the best talent, regardless of party affiliation, and are the elements required to develop a strategic consensus on the way forward.Civility does not require citizens to give up cherished beliefs or “dilute” their convictions. Rather, it requires respect, listening, and trust when interacting with those who hold differing viewpoints. Indeed, civility and inclusive leadership have often been exercised in the American
experience as a means of moving to higher, common ground and developing more creative approaches to realize shared aspirations.
The Dinner: The Political Conversation Your Mother Told You Never to Have, by Terry Paulson
Dr. Paulson treats us to, among other things, “Timely tips for Having a Civil Political Conversation.” Included is sage advice about manners, listening in order to actually understand, focusing on what you are for rather than against, admitting mistakes, and our personal fave. . . using humor. Read up, as not once did he recommend name-calling and spitwads. Really.
A Country Divided, ABC News 20/20
The following are excerpts from the Transcript of the report airing on June 30, 2006. Their study demonstrated that Americans are increasingly segregating themselves geographically, community by community, by political opinion, thereby ensuring that they are exposed less and less to alternative views to their own. Full story available here
[The study] suggests if conservatives are mostly talking to one another, or mostly listening to one another, they’ll shift off to the right. And the same will happen with liberals. . . Tolerance for dissent and diversity of opinion inevitably decreases. The phenomenon. . . also attracts activists who have an innate understanding of how group polarization works. You have people who are kind of - let’s call them polarization entrepreneurs, that is people whose job it is to create polarization and they, no less than Osama bin Laden, though they’re a lot better, needless to say, show a kind of intuitive sense that if you got like-minded people together, you can stir them up and press them in extreme directions.
The Threat to American Democracy
The following are excerpts from Vice President Al Gore’s keynote address at the We Media conference, sponsored by the Media Center at the American Press Institute and hosted by the Associated Press, October 2005. Available for MP3 download here.
Whether it is called a Public Forum, or a “Public Sphere”, or a marketplace of ideas, the reality of open and free public discussion and debate was considered central to the operation of our democracy in America’s earliest decades. In fact, our first self-expression as a nation—”We the People”—made it clear where the ultimate source of authority lay. It was universally understood that the ultimate check and balance for American government was its accountability to the people. And the public forum was the place where the people held the government accountable.
Read the entire address
The Politics of Deceit, by Glenn W. Smith
Following are excerpts from the book “The Politics of Deceit: Saving Freedom and Democracy from Extinction,” Available through Wiley Publishing.
Following Thomas Paine’s advice, we should wake up and understand that our long habit of not thinking our political practices wrong does not make them right. . . Their very structure lends advantage to those who would mislead rather than lead, to those who believe their own power is more important than the health of democracy. . . The dissolution of social mechanisms for working out our differences – and celebrating our similarities and common purposes - has contributed to the deterioration of the public sphere and made possible the ascendancy of the politics of deceit.
Danforth’s challenge to the Episcopal Church, echoes the Village Square
Former Republican Senator, U.N. Ambassador and Episcopal priest John Danforth addressed the 75th Annual General Convention of the Episcopal Church. In the midst of a high profile division in the church regarding issues of sexuality, Danforth articulated a higher calling in what he called “the ministry of reconciliation.” Read the entire address here
The Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown speaking to the New Hampshire Writers Project
Author of the controversial book talks about the ideas behind The Da Vinci Code. Brown deals with issues of science and religion that are fueling our deep divisions, seeking common ground. The following are excerpts from the audio recording available for download in its entirety here
What I’ve finally come to accept is that science and religion are partners. They’re simply two different languages attempting to tell the same story. Both are manifestations of man’s quest to understand the Divine. While science dwells on the answers, religion savors the questions. . . The world is a big place and now more than ever, there is enormous danger in believing we are infallible, that our version of the truth is absolute. That everyone who doesn’t think like we are is wrong, and therefore an enemy.
COLONIST READING LIST
Got a good solid nonpartisan reading recommendation to increase the wisdom rather than the din? Email it to us and we’ll put it on this list.
A Call to Greatness: Challenging Our Next President, by David M. Abshire
Dr. Abshire sets the bar high, where it should be:
At certain turning points, Presidents have the opportunity to change the national landscape with bold new strokes. Our current moment in history is one such turning point.
The American Soul, by Jacob Needleman
“… invites readers to contemplate the deeper spiritual meaning of the American legacy of “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Finding a deep resonance between the founding principles of this country and the ancient spiritual quest for an inner liberation, Needleman proceeds to examine and “remythologize” the founders and some of their great deeds.”
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