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Winning Entry for the Fremont County Republican Women’s Lois Herbst Scholarship
Civil Discourse By Laura Dockery
The first and most important thing in improving civil discourse is to protect civil discourse. In today’s society we are on the brink of losing our free speech. Under the current administration and policies of many corporations, the right of free speech is being severely eroded. Without a firm defense of free speech by our legislators and the people, civil discourse is not possible. Stopping the proposed Disinformation Governance Board and this administration’s connections with Big Tech media must occur.
After we secure our rights then, we need to develop today’s young people to factually present information and debate issues in an organized and smart manner, rather than an emotional manner. Public schools need to train students on how to conduct “civil discourse”. I was involved this year with Speech and Debate. I also did a couple of debates myself, and the most important rule I was taught with debates was do not become emotional, and also maintain control no matter what. When I first heard this I didn’t think these rules would be hard to follow. However as I did my first couple of debates it got harder and harder to control myself and not become emotional. I now understand how civil discourse has become more of an issue in today’s world. What we need to start teaching the younger generation is when presenting an argument or trying to convince someone, they have to maintain control. Having passion in your speeches is not bad, unless it’s threatening. One of the characteristics of civil discourse is consideration of your audience and how to persuade them and not enrage them. I am not saying you can not have passionate speeches, but they need to be controlled, and not enraging to your audience.
Secondly, people, young and old, need to commit to civility in speech and action personally. Then we should “civilly” rebuke those who practice bullying others through their own speech, either emotionally, or verbally. If we all practice civil discourse we can stop uncivil discourse in the world.
I don’t believe more laws, or regulations should be put in place, in fact I feel like it would make matters worse. Thomas Pain said “To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead.” Making more laws is like medicine. Samual Adams once said “ We have no constitutional government armed with power capable of contending with human passion unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people”. I cite these sources to reference the fact that self restriction and good conduct in civil speech must be displayed in order to improve civil discourse.
To make civil discourse work in society today we need to teach it, then practice it. Civil discourse is something that can not be mandated by the government, it must be a personal responsibility.
