NPR: Keeping It Civil: How To Talk Politics Without Letting Things Turn Ugly

[Pluvious]

Some of us have it worse than others, and some have it better.

The periodic in-law interactions I face challenge me to my limits, and affect me way more than seems reasonable, I struggle with this.

This brief piece from NPR was helpful, I'll be pondering its message and discuss with my SO.

You see, I'm getting prepared, as I'll be going back in soon, Peg.

In a deeply divided America, a casual political debate can easily spiral into a shouting match — even if both parties set out to keep things civil. So how can we talk about thorny issues with people who fundamentally disagree with us?

Over the past two months, NPR has been traveling the country for our series Civility Wars to see how Americans are grappling with the idea of civility in polarizing times. During that time, we heard from the new mayor of Charlottesville, Va., on why she's wary of the very idea of civility; we reported on a gathering of political opposites trying to bridge the political divide; and we talked to two Twitter trolls who admit that their online feuds might be friendlier if they could just meet in person. Often, we heard the same thing: Talking across difference is hard.

As part of the series, we also reached out to four people who've spent a lot of time thinking about how to have more respectful political conversations. Here's what they told us.

https://www.npr.org/2019/04/12/712277890/keeping-it-civil-how-to-talk-politics-without-letting-things-turn-ugly

[gratuitous]

1. Bookmarking for later

I'll be quite interested in how to react civilly to someone who not only questions my right to exist, but thinks it should be governmental policy to exterminate me and those like me. I tend to react with a certain hostility (e.g., "Fuck you, you fucking Nazi!), which only seems to escalate things.

[KG]

8. escalation or not , that is the proper response .

[dangermouse2017]

11. ↑THIS ↑

We have confused being polite with being passive aggressive.

Polite discussion about locking children up in cages is letting sociopathic personalities live in a polite place while the "conversation" remains 'polite' so different ideas can be exchanged,
You know,
so nobody gets "uncomfortable"

[andym]

2. The key points of the article should be pinned to each forum at DU

especially the primaries forum. Historically, things will start heating up there in the coming months.

[maxsolomon]

3. NPR, home of the "let a Republican gaslight unchallenged for 7 minutes" interview.

Right when my alarm goes off in the morning.

[scrutineer]

9. Several times a day, everyday

[Girard442]

4. I want to go live on the planet where these tips work.

It sounds nice there.

[TNLib]

5. I don't mind having a spirited debate with a moderate Republican or Conservative

But I'm finding that if someone is an avid Trump fan, it pretty much sends up a red flag about that individual. And in all likelihood there would be plenty of reasons to not interact with that individual that have nothing to do with politics.

I think toxic people are drawn to Trump.

[safeinOhio]

6. I got one to laugh.

Guy was talking about how great trump tax breaks were for him. I ask if he could trickle down a five dollar loan to me.

[KG]

7. NPR has become a joke.

listening to them try to validate the sad,stupid man's dellusional raving during the campaign was laughable

[lpbk2713]

10. You can't cure stupid.

I don't even try.