Intelligent discourse and respecting the other side

Re: “The time I dueled with Louis L’Amour (and made peace with him),” March 19 Patty Limerick column.

What an amazing column from Patty Limerick. She spoke to all of us in a very subtle way of how to handle disagreements with one another. Today’s rhetoric is so full of hate and fingerpointing. There are no concessions or true understanding from the other side.

Limerick’s column shows that to have intelligent discourse with people who you don’t agree with leads to a better understanding of your issues and a better understanding and respect for the person you are speaking with.

It is to my dismay that we have gone so far in politics that a person cannot speak about how they feel about issues without fear of reprisal. Some reprisals are so violent they can cause physical harm. Civility and understanding are lost arts in America. How sad. People need to have intelligent conversations about the issues, not emotion-filled arguments.