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CIVILITY: “polite, reasonable, and respectful behavior.”  Merriam-Webster

Once upon a time when there was neither television nor movies; when music could not be reproduced and so belonged to those who could afford musical instruments and had the skill to play them; when books were more difficult and more expensive to print and publish; when the world was, if not a better place, at least a less noisy one; in our very recent history, people actually spent a great deal of time talking to each other.  Conversation had great value.  It was a prime occupation which could rise to the level of artistry, and among the more or  less genteel, there were rules that kept it flowing smoothly.  In this way persons of differing background and opinions could enjoy and profit from talking together without fear of disrespect or injured feelings.

You can expect civility here, for the simple reason that I’ll delete anything uncivil.

This means that you can say anything you like as long as you say it politely.  You can say, “I don’t understand this because …” but you can’t call someone an idiot, even if they are one.  You can say, “I disagree with Statement X because …” but you can’t say, “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” even though we all realize how stupid it is.

People’s feelings matter.  Their ideas matter.  Disagreement among civilized people is a good thing, because it gives us an opportunity to learn from each other.  If you want to engage in name-calling and insult, head over to Twitter.  If you want to express your own ideas and read others’, hang around.  It might be fun.

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