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Excellent article about a growing threat to all civil discourse, in the NYT of all places. Swift, ad hominem attacks against those with contrary opinions designed to bully them into silence has replaced once-thoughtful discussion of issues that sought to influence and convince. Unchecked, this trend will lead to a horrible place.

FreeRepublic is not immune from this sweeping cultural phenomenon, and we each need to consider how we present our own argum ents. There are real and vitally important differences among our separately preferred candidates, and those issues should be fully examined and vigorously debated. Such debate reveals differences and presents clear choices, and wins real converts who share in ideas. It's much easier to stifle opposing arguments in the first place by attacking their advocates and demonizing them with dismissive labels (e.g. Trumpists, Cruzers, Bush-bots, etc.), but such intellectual laziness ignores the fact that we will need each other to win in November and hopefully to govern in January.