Political Opposites Urge Civil Debate in 2010

"I'd like to see us replace vicious attacks with vigorous and civil debates on ideas that will expedite solutions and restore respectability to the public square," said Mark DeMoss, founder of The Civility Project.

ATLANTA, Jan. 5, 2010—From pop culture to athletics to politics, incivility made headlines in 2009.  In 2010, can civil behavior make a rebound?  One grassroots movement thinks so, and, for those on all sides of an issue, is calling for a return to civility.

"We've lost ability to win an argument, win a debate, on the strength of words and ideas, and now we judge them on the decibel count," Mark DeMoss told NBC News (Dec. 29, 2009).   DeMoss, an evangelical conservative, forged an unlikely partnership with outspoken liberal Lanny Davis to launch The Civility Project (CivilityProject.org) earlier this year.  "It's not a liberal problem or a conservative problem - it's everywhere," said DeMoss.

"If we really want change, we have to find a way to express ourselves civilly," said Davis, a long-time Clinton advisor.

The Civility Project is a web-based movement promoting civility in public discourse - something that has been noticeably absent in the public square recently.  The Civility Project encourages people to commit to civil behavior by taking The Civility Pledge found at www.CivilityProject.org:

• I will be civil in my public discourse and behavior.
• I will be respectful of others whether or not I agree with them.
• I will stand against incivility when I see it.

By aligning with The Civility Project, people from diverse political, ethnic, social and religious backgrounds are making a commitment to debate issues with conviction and vigor, but without mudslinging and personal insults.  The Civility Project challenges all people, not just politicians, to bring back civility and respectability as staples of American politics and life.

The Civility Project is a voluntary, grassroots movement of people from diverse backgrounds who agree that, at this critical time in America’s history, solutions to our most pressing problems will be found only through a more civil exchange of ideas.  A web-based organization, CivilityProject.org hopes to promote more civility in public discourse.

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