Is civil discourse a dying art? The topic will be discussed at Agenda: Alexandria‘s upcoming forum in the city’s Carlyle neighborhood on Monday, October 27.
Panelists at the event include Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Kate Woodsome; JoAnn Koob, director of the Liberty and Law Center at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School; Alexandria living legend Carter Flemming; and Victor Ignacio of the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office. Tickets for the hour-and-a-half-long discussion are $10. The event starts at 7 p.m. and will be held at Cowo & Creche (2034 Eisenhower Avenue).
“We will address the years-long decline in respectful debate in the political realm (but not the specific contentious issues
themselves), the role of media and social media, and how we might find common ground and best respond as individuals
and organizations to exhibit model behavior,” Agenda: Alexandria said in a release.
Questions at the event may include:
- What are the origins of our current social and community divisions?
- How can we, as a society, differentiate between personal emotions and opinions from verifiable and accurate facts? Are there techniques or personal practices that we can use to de-escalate dialogue to keep discussions reasonable and respectful without personal attacks?
- Can free speech stay civil?
- Has our society gotten so soft that it hurts our sensibilities to hear differing opinions?
- How can a community’s or a nation’s problems be solved if they can’t be honestly, openly, and respectfully addressed and debated?
- How can we disagree without being disagreeable?
