Civil resolution of controversial, and at times emotionally charged, issues has been the saving grace of the American form of self government. Yet when we fail to either teach or practice these principles, we put our Democracy at risk. At the ACPL our mission is to promote civic engagement through civil disclosure. We take pride in sharing with our readers articles from various authors who subscribe to the tenets of our core mission.
The following excerpt was taken from an article written by Orrin G. Hatch on The Washington Post:
“Long ago, on the eve of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln made a heartfelt plea to the American people: Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory … will yet swell … when again touched … by the better angels of our nature.
In a nation as divided as ours, how can we answer Lincoln’s call? How can we bridle our political passions and heed the better angels of our nature?
We can start with by practicing civility.
Without civility, there is no civilization. It is the indispensable public virtue — the protective wall between order and chaos. But that wall has weakened in recent times.
Consider the steady disintegration of our political discourse. We live in a media environment that favors anger over reason and feeling over fact. The loudest voices, not the wisest ones, now dictate the terms of public debate. For evidence, simply turn on the TV — but be sure to turn down the volume.”
