Civility in Discourse

Balance, fairness,
and, most of all,
thoughtfulness.

Clear cogent explanation

of viewpoints,
opinions, and values.

Do not simply rant.

Reject the cheap shot
and the hard zinger.

Political open warfare

exacerbating political division

in America.

Talking about issues

might make a positive difference,
might move us to common ground.

The desire to savage,

rather than convince,
stems from the suspicion

that maybe, just maybe,

we are on the wrong side

of the position.

 This poem was taken from a column written in 2005 by Washington Post columnist William Raspberry.  It was in today’s paper because the Pulitzer Prize winner died yesterday at the age of 76.

© 2012 Catherine Giordano

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