Making America Civil Again

What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, June 20, 2017:

Many thought the 2016 presidential election campaign and its aftermath were about as uncivil as any time in America since the nation fought a Civil War in the 1860s.  Or maybe since cities burned and there was violence across the country in the late 1960s. 

Making comparisons really doesn’t matter because the reality is the country is divided politically now.  It may seem worse than other eras but maybe the reach of technology and social media contribute to the feeling that today’s politics are volatile.  Or it could be that technology and social media feed that uncivil discourse.

Just when many thought it couldn’t get a worse, a man who railed against Republicans shot and wounded several people, including a Republican Congressman on a baseball field last week.

The National Institute for Civil Discourse was formed after Arizona Congresswoman Gabriel Giffords was shot and wounded six years ago.  It’s mission is to “addressing incivility and political dysfunction by promoting structural and behavioral change.”

Executive Director Carolyn Lukensmeyer appears on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to discuss civility.