Readers comment on civil discourse

On Aug. 12, The Chronicle Editorial Board asked for your ideas about how to promote civil discourse during important policy discussions in Washington in the editorial "Civil discourse: Send us your ideas for improving the national debate."

Here's what Chronicle readers had to say:

Commenter STOGamer says everyone needs to share the blame and everyone needs to compromise:

And just as I suspected, four out of the five comments replying to this editorial are blaming the other side, right against left, left against right. Don't you see it, people? THIS IS THE PROBLEM. Let's get over blaming everyone and work on SOLVING THE PROBLEM. I swear, if these people were in my employ, I would fire them all for not getting work done and whining about how it's not their fault: "If THAT GUY just did it my way, it'd be done already." The American political landscape has never been more polarized, more marginalized. It's time we ALL learned how to compromise and not just sit back and call the other side names. --Oh, and while I'm on the subject, invoking Naziism does nobody any good from either side, and I've heard it thrown by conservatives and liberals alike.

realoldlady blames the media:

Wow...I blame most of today's problems on the MEDIA. If they would leave OUT the following words and just put the names of the people they are talking about we may find it a better USA also if they included where we can find the PROOF about what they are saying and writing we really might be better off.

The words are: democrat and republican - white and black and hispanic - liberal and conservatives and left and right.

The media has become so bias, and so full of misinformation (polite way of saying LIES) that we no longer know what is real or unreal. To many bloggers 'miswrite or misspeak' and people believe it for the truth. Those that can take you to the exact article or proof are the only ones with credablity.

ka5s offers a unique approach:

Hold every comment for moderation. For a WEEK. (A joke. Maybe)

We no longer need pollsters to tell us racism is still here. We don't have to be shown that sex and gender are a hot button.  We don't need sociologists to pontificate about hidden resentments and rationalizing impossibilities into reality. We're here, and holding nothing back.

Some years ago I saw a boy of maybe 16 flying in SS regalia. I thought -- to myself -- how fortunate he was not to know what it meant.   How ungrateful he was that elders unknown and unknowable to himself had died so he could remain ignorant.  And then I refrained from judging, because that boy would someday grow up and PROBABLY be cured of his delusions.

Others will replace him; it takes constant effort to retain that Western Civilization we are so proud of --  and refuse to display.

Reporter: “Mr. Gandhi, what do you think of Western civilization?”

Gandhi: “I think it would be a good idea!”

Working on it.

Join the conversation. We know you have plenty to say on this issue. Either posts here or under the original editorial. We'll check your comments on Wednesday and post some more.