Vigorous dissent can’t be silenced

To listen to the media since the tragedy in Tucson, one would conclude that we live in a very uncivil society. Perhaps the media need to get away from their colleagues for a few days and have a conversation with ordinary citizens.

Not long ago, my wife and I visited the nation’s capital for a large Tea Party gathering. The speakers and the crowd expressed their concern with the direction the government was taking the country, and did so in a civil manner. There was no violence, no threats, and no hate speech — just civil discussion of serious threats to our nation’s future.