Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Sticks and Stones and Names may Break more than Bones

I am listening to President Obama speak in Ottumwa and reflecting on comments by those who protested his visit a short distance a way yesterday. I firmly believe freedom of speech is at the very heart of what makes our country great. But, it is rarely easy to witness rancor. I wonder if the current political environment is dulling our senses and creating a permanent divide that will make it hard to come together to preserve and defend the American Dream for the next generation.

Former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach is now Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. In November, Chairman Leach launched a national tour, Civility in a Fractured Society, and he will soon bring it to Iowa. He has something important to say to both those inside the hall where the President is speaking and those standing outside in protest. Our differences of opinion are not trivial, but the need for us to find our patriotic common ground is greater.

Chairman Jim Leach said recently, “Civilization requires civility. Words matter. Polarizing attitudes can jeopardize social cohesion.”

We are entering the heat of the 2010 political campaign season making timely this message of civility. In a sweltering Independence Hall some 234 years ago, the Founders did not always agree. Their supporters often engaged in loud and even rancorous debates. The arguments were painful and passions ran high. In the end, they found a way to work together and forge a brighter future for those who would follow. I am grateful for that and hope many years from now, those who follow us will feel a similar sense of gratitude for our ability to unite in uncertain times.

I look forward to Chairman Leach’s tour and wish him well. I am pleased the President brought his message to Iowa and, I am grateful for those who find a way to passionately fight for what they believe without obliterating civil discourse. There are many problems to be solved and we will only be able to do so if we put our collective shoulder to the wheel.

This entry was first published as a Des Moines Register blog entry.

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