It’s not often that we write about how much respect we have for our friends down south at UA. But in a gesture fitting for the day’s news, we’re going to break tradition.
UA announced Monday that it would create an institute for promoting openness and civility in our political discourse. The National Institute for Civil Discourse will bring together some big names in national politics to lead the research organization.
Fittingly, former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush will be the honorary chairmen of the foundation. As two men who ran against each other for president in 1992, they certainly understand political discourse and its consequences.
While our political discourse may have become a touch more civil since the tragedy in Tucson, we still have a long way to go. Fred DuVal, vice chairman of the Arizona Board of the Regents and the brain behind the idea, realizes this.
“How do we nurture robustness on one hand and not in any way chill speech, and keep it in bounds that are not destructive to democracy? Will it change the nature of dialogue? That will be a tall order,” DuVal told The New York Times.
If there’s any place to fill that tall order, why shouldn’t it be Arizona? With such an ethnically diverse population and some tough decisions ahead, our state should take the lead on this.
This state has seen more than its share of headlines, and the majority of the time it hasn’t been for the better. Some level heads have brought Arizona the chance to do something both remarkable and positive.
And UA is not alone in its endeavor. Today ASU launches its Center for Social Cohesion, which will focus on the need to look for social unity in our divided world.
While former presidents don’t lead our center, there is no shortage of experience going into it. The man heading this is Gregory Rodriguez, founder of the online publication Zócalo Public Square and a Los Angeles Times columnist.
With two excellent opportunities, the time for redemption — for both Arizona and America — is here. What we say and what we do today sets examples for those who are younger than we are.
If children continue to see adults bickering over politics in the nasty tone that we have seen lately, they may think we belong on a playground rather than be burdened with the task of running a great democracy.
If we hope to accomplish the momentous goal of reshaping civil discourse, there is no time to waste. Each day our habits become more engrained, and we are showing the leaders of tomorrow that violent rhetoric is acceptable. We need to show them this will not do, and why wait?
In most other areas, ASU and UA may be rivals. But when the time comes to guide our nation’s political discourse, what better way to show unity than for our two institutions to work toward the same goal?
