Can we talk? UND symposium addressed civility in public discourse
May 13, 2012 at 6:05 pm in Grand Forks Herald
Former Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., will be the keynote speaker opening night at the Chester Fritz Library.UND’s Conflict Resolution Center has scheduled a five-day symposium May 21-25, “Civility in Public Conversation: Have we lost our ability to talk?” Continue Reading
This is an interesting topic to discuss. I have been thinking about my behavior on Area Voices. I tend to get a little mouthy…or a lot…at times. It can be tough on here some days. I’ve been called a few names and I’ve called a few back. I try to watch myself but I have gone to far a time or two…maybe three. When one of my comments hurt somebody else’s feelings it doesn’t make me feel very good about myself. When I’ve gone back later and read what I wrote I have wished more than once that I never hit the submit button. But I’m human and I make mistakes. An apology is helpful but it doesn’t erase the pain I have caused somebody else. Thankfully I have friends on the boards that set me straight from time to time. It’s surprises me how well people have gotten to know me and how much they seem to care. I truly do value the friendships that I have made on Area Voices. And if I stray from the topic it’s because I want to take a moment and talk to a friend so forgive me when I do. One friend in particular I miss alot…he’s the guy from Duluth who got banned by the M & M’s just before Christmas. I don’t know why they had to come down so hard on him when I’ve seen other comments on here that were equal or worse than the one he made. -tj-
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Hell TJ…..I think what you’re referring to is basically getting defensive at someones offensive remark. Like when someone has tried to put others down for what they’ve said or believe. I do the same. I figure if someone wants to take it to a personal level by putting out the attitude that anyone who thinks a certain way is stupid, then I have no problem pointing out that mindset is bass akwards.
Sometimes I too get a bit too agressive against the severe right mind set, but I’ve never been a pacifist so I don’t take well to them trying to pigion hole others and put them down in the process….
As for these boards……Hell….These are really tame compared to some political boards that become senseless to even try to have a debate. I know many of us complain about the filters on these, but without them I think we’d see a of unwanted garbage on here…
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It would be interesting to attend and see how the debate is moderated. I found Mr. Port’s comments as quoted in this article instructive. ““I worry that efforts like this are misguided, at best, or at worst an attempt to limit or control speech under the guise of civility.” This is clearly the chicken little conspiracy theorist at work. There is no apparent attempt at this event to limit speech but he automatically sees a bogeyman behind every tree and he also makes the mistake of automatically assuming that speech will be limited at the event before it is even held. As to his notion that “he discounted the notion that civility is in decline” is a classic. He doesn’t even recognize there is a problem. One has only to turn on any talking heads program on television or radio and listen to the discussion leader interject their own opinion into the discussion or worse yet, allow more than one person to speak at a time to see civility in decline. Waiting for one person to finish talking before starting to talk is the start of civil discourse and having heard Mr. Port talk in person, he violates this basic principle often.
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I think it’s funny that a clown like Rob Port would be talking about internet Civility.
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It would be about as funny as Rush don’t you think.
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The notion of Byron Dorgan holding a seminar on civil discourse would be risible if it wasn’t so pathetic.
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” risible”
Wow, Kevin, I’m impressed with your Latinate vocabulary. Seriously, no sarcasm intended.
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