Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Holiday season Ten Commandments for the civil conversations

Holiday season Ten Commandments for the civil conversations
Getty Images

Dr. Johnson is a United Methodist pastor, the author of "Holding Up Your Corner: Talking About Race in Your Community" (Abingdon Press, 2017) and Program Director for the Bridge Alliance, which houses The Fulcrum.

The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes celebrations, reunions, and in many cases, many opinions. Navigating civic discussions may seem daunting with the current highly polarized national and international political landscape. However, it's essential to leverage this time of year to engage in meaningful conversations on pressing issues with family, friends, and even adversaries.


Society benefits from open exchanges of ideas, as it fosters growth and understanding among individuals. To ensure these exchanges are respectful, inclusive, and productive, the following are some commandments or guidelines for hosting constructive civic discussions during your holiday gatherings.

1. Thou shalt set ground rules: Encourage everyone present to adhere to broad principles such as respect, empathy, and active listening. Establishing an environment where everyone feels safe to share their views without fear of judgment or attack is vital to nurturing fruitful conversations.

2. Thou shalt find common ground: Before delving into contentious issues, it is helpful to identify shared values or interests. Recognizing mutual goals can facilitate cooperation and mutual understanding instead of antagonism.

3. Thou shalt focus on the issues: Discuss the underlying topics rather than getting entangled in ad hominem attacks or sensationalized narratives. Avoid attacking one another's character or political affiliations - they only derail the conversation from finding standard solutions.

4. Thou shalt avoid presumptions: We all wear different lenses through which we interpret the world; appreciating those differences will open pathways for genuine dialogue. Approach each discussion with curiosity and humility - resist imposing our assumptions onto others.

5. Thou shalt practice active listening: Give others the space to express themselves by listening with concentration and responding genuinely rather than waiting for gaps to interject our opinions. Active listening demonstrates respect and acknowledges their perspective's validity.

6. Thou shalt foster compassion: Demonstrating empathy towards others' perspectives can be transformative, dissolving barriers and encouraging unity. Acknowledge emotions that discussions can evoke, and work together to find resolutions rooted in shared well-being.

7. Thou shalt incorporate inclusive language: To ensure everyone feels valued, use language that respects diverse cultural backgrounds, experiences, and sensitivities.

8. Thou shalt agree to disagree: Civility doesn't necessarily mean reaching a consensus on every subject but ensuring that differing opinions are respected and don't hinder relationships. Accept that disagreements will arise, and explore lessons learned from these differences.

9. Thou shalt cultivate emotional intelligence: Gauge the room for emotional cues and adjust conversations to maintain a respectful environment. Please pay attention to both verbal and non-verbal signals as they reflect the comfort level of participants.

10. Thou shalt encourage continuous dialogue: Offer space for ongoing discussion in everyday life rather than reserving contentious conversations for special occasions. Consistently engaging in open dialogue establishes healthy habits and nurtures productive conversation within your circle.

By implementing these respectful practices in your gatherings, you can encourage respectful, enlightening exchanges while minimizing conflict. The outcome? A better understanding of our communities' challenges and the shared responsibility to build bridges of empathy, respect, and cooperation to pursue collective solutions.

Read More

Floods Are Getting Stronger – but so Are the People
traffic light sign underwater
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Floods Are Getting Stronger – but so Are the People

Melissa Otey’s holistic wellness studio, Issa Lifestyle STL, was more than a business: it was a decade-long labor of love and a sanctuary she built for her Florissant community. From yoga, meditation, breathwork, sound and art therapy, and lifestyle coaching, the studio embodied her vision. It even included her own art gallery and a learning space for her children. It was truly everything she had ever hoped to create.

After only being open for four months, though, she had to bear the devastation of her passion being washed away in St. Louis’ historic 2022 floods.

Keep ReadingShow less
"They want us divided sign" that represents partisanship among democrats and republicans.

In recent philosophical and political discourse, the concept of “deep disagreement” has gained traction as a diagnostic for the dysfunction of contemporary public debate.

Getty Images, Jena Ardell

Manufacturing Dissent: How ‘Deep Disagreement’ Serves the Anti-Democratic Elite

In recent philosophical and political discourse, the concept of “deep disagreement” has gained traction as a diagnostic for the dysfunction of contemporary public debate. The premise is simple yet highly seductive: Some disagreements we are told are so fundamental, so rooted in incompatible worldviews or paradigmatically incommensurable epistemologies, that no meaningful argumentation is possible between the disagreeing parties. The implication is stark: Reason and Dialogue cannot bridge the gulf. But this diagnosis, while sounding sobering and serious, is in fact a dangerous illusion. It is an intellectual sleight of hand that masks both the manufactured nature of such disagreements and the vested interests that thrive on perpetuating them.

Indeed, contrary to its glossy surface neutrality, the notion of “deep disagreement” is not merely a philosophical tool but has become a performative trope, perfectly suited for an age of outrage, polarization, and algorithmic amplification. It helps rationalize the breakdown of dialogue, casting it not as a product of bad faith, deliberate miscommunication, or elite manipulation, but as a tragic inevitability of divergent rationalities. In doing so, it gives cover to a much darker political agenda: The delegitimation of democracy itself.

Keep ReadingShow less
classroom, learning, teaching, class, students

Although the DOE has expressed concerns about declining academic outcomes among marginalized students, it continues to pursue policies that have proven to be detrimental.

Getty Images, Rafa Fernandez Torres

The Trump Administration and Failing Schools

What is Trump’s administration doing to eliminate achievement gaps between minorities, English learners, socioeconomically disadvantaged students, and children with learning disabilities? Arguably, the administration is promoting policies that worsen these issues. The Department of Education (DOE) has expressed concerns about data representing the declining academic outcomes of these subgroups, but it continues to pursue policies that have proven ineffective and detrimental.

The curricula and subjects taught are being adapted to prepare students for the workforce and provide them with skills to succeed. For example, schools are promoting AI literacy and preparing students for an AI workforce, but the administration is not addressing the needs of students with learning disabilities and varying limitations. Large Language Models (i.e., ChatGPT) generate responses based on datasets of neurotypical users, which do not accommodate individuals with dyslexia and challenges with reading comprehension. Additionally, voice models are not optimized for users with non-standard speech patterns. Students with non-verbal learning disabilities also struggle to interpret AI language, which uses abstract phrasing and indirect expressions, and people with ASD excel with more concrete language and visual supports.

Keep ReadingShow less