So, can we have some civility now?

Now that a lack of civil discourse has contributed to yet another act of righteous violence – and let’s not pretend that it hasn’t – it seems that we can justifiably raise the question of civility elsewhere, surely. The sort of marginalisation of those who differ is one of the factors that encouraged the assassination attempt on Rep. Giffords (and another is the elephant in the American room – allowing citizens to carry weapons for no justifiable reason in civil society, but that’s another rant). If we should not tolerate such behaviour in that arena, why should we tolerate it in any other? Why should we marginalise those who have religious beliefs if we do not think it is right to marginalise those who are atheist or agnostic?

The Civility Wars will not end now, but if history teaches us anything at all, it is that without civil discourse, humans resort eventually to violence. I would think that reasonable people understand this.

Filed under: Rant

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