Civil Discourse
Civil Discourse (this is a paste - I don't know the who the author is. I read this on another site I frequent and immediatly thought of this forum):
1)Recognize a person's right to advocate ideas that are different from your own.
2)Show respect for others.
a)Discuss ideas, not people
b)Use helpful, not hurtful language
3)Agree to listen.
a)Respectfully hear and listen to differing points of view
b)When unsure, clarify what you heard
c)Realize that what you say and what people understand you to have said may be different
e)Recognize that people can agree to disagree
4)Speak for yourself, not others.
a)Speak from your own experience
"Democracy is a means of living together despite our differences. Democratic deliberation is an alternative to physical violence. It is predicated on the assumption that it's possible to disagree agreeably, that it's better to laugh than cry, that one can vigorously contest the positions of one's adversary without questioning his or her personal integrity or motivation, and that parties to a debate are entitled to the presumption that their views are legitimate if not correct."
-Thomas Mann
Bill
ps, would a sticky be out of the question?