Civility -- Like Everything -- Needs a Practice Field

    If we would have peace in our land, we should take some steps to achieve it. So, what of all the political infighting? What steps could we take to heal our land from the political division?

   Could we not only call for civility, but have a program to help bring it about? If you don't do anything, nothing will get done. So, where is a plan of action?

   I will offer one suggestion. Create debate forums. Invite all the politically inclined -- all those with strong opinions, all those who suppose the issues of our nation are important -- to participate. 

  But, wait, you are assuming this would be something it is not. I'm actually calling for something pretty much the opposite of what you are thinking. No, you wouldn't come there to argue your positions. You would come there to argue against your own positions. That's right, you would come there, and draw an issue out of a hat, and if that issue were abortion, that is what you and your opponent would debate. Then, you would draw out of the hat which side you would argue. As often as not, you would end up arguing on the side against your own beliefs.

   There might be no better way to foster civility than to ask you to state your opponent's position in a convincing way. If you can become better at stating the opposite side than those who actually believe that way, then you are likely achieving the goal of understanding and respecting how the other person feels. 

  It would also be important to encourage a comradery. Give them points in the debate when they speak well of the other person, and encourage them to like each other before and after the discussion -- I mean debate.

   This might sound silly, but it is not. We are what we practice. Football stars don't become football stars unless they practice to become them. This would provide the practice sessions for us to be civil with each other. 

   We, as a nation, need to be this. We need to be more civil with each other. We are fracturing without it. As with anything, it takes practice to achieve what you want to become. It is not wrong to have a program to get you there. It is not wrong to set practices up. If we really are serious about solving our political divide, we should be thinking in terms of an actual program such as this to bring it about.