Political Quotes

“Madam President, it seems like every other week we turn on the TV only to hear a pundit declare that we are living in the most divisive time in the history of our Nation. Now, as I am sure many would point out, especially if we were having this discussion on social media, those who lived through the Civil War and other contentious eras might have something to say about that, but we can all agree it is a contentious time. What I know for sure is this: Every single day I see the American people losing the hope they once had in the absolute inviolability of our fundamental right to free speech and expression. They may not be too worried about official action changing those rights, but what they do see is a dwindling respect for what those rights mean outside of the context of what lawyers and lawmakers understand as protected speech. They are not thinking about Supreme Court cases. They are wondering what changed in the hearts and minds of their countrymen to turn simple disagreements into all-out war. They long for the days when they would have friendly banter with their neighbors and with their friends and discuss the issues of the day. Well, over the past few months, I have watched this national discourse spiral to the point where most people I talked to back home believe that civil debate is just about impossible, and it worries them. What happened to mutual respect? What happened to point- counterpoint? What happened to civil discourse in the public square?…”