Leah Ward Sears Quotes

I have and I will always work to promote a civil public discourse.

We may disagree on some things, but we can do so without being disagreeable.

…in every locality we should look beyond our noses; and at least say nothing on points where it is probable we shall disagree.

It is only when the partisan shouting stops that we can hear each other's voices and concerns.

It's a very important thing to learn to talk to people you disagree with.

I enjoy the debate... I haven't met a single person in Congress yet that I dislike. It's not about moderating your views: it's about being able to talk about them and defending them in a way that's uplifting to people.

Dialogue between people of differing views is critical for fostering understanding in a democracy.

I'm in the civil discourse business. I think it takes all kinds. And more power to everybody.

It does not good to shout anyone down….There will be no shouting.

We can argue and we can disagree, but we don’t need to poke our fingers in each other’s eyes in order to get our points across.

I get very very concerned when I hear people start characterizing their opponents as stupid. I still understand that because politics is a little rough and tumble at times, but I don’t buy it and when they start calling each other either crazy or evil. You and I, we don’t compromise with crazy people or evil people. And so, I don’t think that’s helpful. Generally speaking, just because someone disagrees with you doesn’t make them crazy or evil.

My hope is to create spaces where people of all stripes can come together and speak at a lower decibel level. We make more sense that way. We sound more like our real selves that way.

You don't hear much crosstalk on 'The Five.' When you try to make a point, the other person will back off.

Above all, spend time in places where people disagree with you. Reach out. Show up and make your argument. People will appreciate it, even if they are not inclined to vote for you.

As a country, we still have a lot of work to do. We need to agree on some basic rules for civil discourse.

You have to learn to have discourse with people you don't necessarily agree with.

That's something that the world needs to learn today: that you can disagree and still be friends.

You should be able to voice your opinion and respect the voice of the other side. You should be willing to educate yourself and know what it is you're dealing with.

I am totally down with disagreement. I don't like Haterade, but disagreement is wonderful. When someone disagrees, we try to reach common ground. That's good.

The most important thing in an argument, next to being right, is to leave an escape hatch for your opponent, so that he can gracefully swing over to your side without too much apparent loss of face.

Real answers need to be found in dialogue and interaction and, yes, our shared human condition. This means being open to one another instead of simply fighting to maintain a prescribed position.

You don't have to dislike people you disagree with and it doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to have bipartisan friendships in this place. Life's too short to have it any other way.

If I have my opinion about something, you have your opinion about something, we don't have to fight over it. And we can have a conversation. We can also disagree without being disagreeable, and we can just disagree, which is fine. It doesn't mean that I don't like you, or you don't like me. We just disagree.

Civility is not not saying negative or harsh things. It is not the absence of critical analysis. It is the manner in which we are sharing this territorial freedom of political discussion. If our discourse is yelled and screamed and interrupted and patronized, that's uncivil.

The world I want to live in is a world where everybody is a bit more uncertain about their arguments and is a bit more open to other people's arguments. I think that we can engage ideas without ad hominem attacks.