Opinion: Conversation over condemnation

Commentary by Jeff Worrell

A reader recently asked me how civility applies to the unrest in our cities. It’s a fair question.

While civility might seem like a quaint and unrealistic notion when confronted with the raw emotion of civil unrest, it is its absence that is felt most acutely. Civility is not about passive politeness or turning a blind eye to deep-seated frustrations and lawbreaking. It is about maintaining respect, even in disagreement, and seeking solutions rather than perpetuating chaos.

Riots are a symptom — a reflection of societal pain that has long gone unheard. But what happens when anger spills over into destruction? Businesses suffer, families feel fear, neighbors turned into enemies and the path forward becomes even harder to navigate. The power of civility lies in its ability to break the cycle. It urges conversation over condemnation, progress over polarization.

This does not mean silencing voices or ignoring injustice. Quite the opposite. Civility demands that we truly listen to one another, even when the message is difficult to hear. It challenges us to respond not with rage, but with a commitment to understanding.

In times of turmoil, civility is not weakness. It is strength — the kind that builds, rather than burns.