HQ

There is a rumor going around that it is not possible to have a civil debate on social media. While there is certainly some truth to this at this juncture in our history, it seems odd to think that one media is the kind of media that renders arguments and discourse powerless. Surely, an argument is as good on Facebook as it is on a printed page. There is no reason to think a person cannot reasonably talk to other people on Facebook and think rationally about some issue and all the while restrain their temper. We have managed this for years in all sorts of formats. Telling ourselves that we can't have civil debates on Facebook is a falsehood and, if we're not careful, it will turn out to be a self-fullfilling prophecy.  There are other prophetic voices out there saying things that are not true, but which, if we all start to believe them, will be made true. For example, I have heard despair about argument in general in the last week. Of course, such despair was expressed ...

All eyes are on London for the games. It is strange to think that the world was similarly transfixed by the city a year ago. For very different reasons. A year has gone by since the London riots. It seemed then that the city had gone up in flames in a sudden outburst of violence. The riots were thought by some to be a message. I saw a quote repeated many times on facebook, apparently from Martin Luther King: "violence is the language of the unheard." People, mostly young people, were apparently trying to say something. King, who spent his life advocating (through the eloquent use of words, I might add) peaceful, non-violent protest, would be somewhat annoyed to see people using what he said in support of rioting.