“Be polite.” 

It’s something we’ve all heard in our colorful kindergarten classrooms, yet it’s something clearly missing from the social fabric of America. It seems as though political tensions in the U.S. are at an all time high. From a recent spike in homicides to over 30 million people unemployed (roughly 20% of American workers), the stakes are unimaginable. However, if we want to affect change, we must not abandon this fundamental principle of civility. 

It’s clear that many Americans are very passionate about politics and their vision of the nation. Maybe you are. But the necessity for good-faith discussions, reasonable debate and polite conversation cannot be understated when it comes to realizing lofty political goals. Without these standards for political discourse, what are we left with? Violence, chaos and bitterness toward the fellow American. 

This is simply a matter of fact. A nationwide survey conducted by KRC Research found that 70% of Americans believe incivility has risen to crisis levels and 81% think uncivil behavior is leading to an increase in violence. Unfortunately, this data is not surprising. The list of politically-charged attacks has a few names that would stand out to anyone: the El Paso shooting, Charlottesville car attack and the 2017 Congressional baseball shooting to name a few. 

Politics should be a relentless war of ideas, fought with logical appeals, bloodied by powerful rebuttals and with statistics as the weapons we brandish. But it seems politics has turned into a literal war, with violence and threats being seen by some as a necessary means to a supposedly altruistic end. Violence ought to be condemned universally if we desire a better America. Changed minds, not bruises, should be the mark of political progress. 

Incivility also paints a blurry picture of the average American’s political beliefs. When incivility is so common, and often stems from political discussions, it is fair to assume that some people would rather avoid the topic altogether — never candidly speaking about their political beliefs. A recent survey by Cato Institute reported that 62% of Americans say they have political beliefs that they are afraid to share. Thus, our idea of the American political landscape is only truly representative of 38% of the population.