As the rift between Democrats and Republicans becomes even more toxic, Americans’ confidence in their ability to govern deceases correspondingly. A first, easy step to reclaim credibility and some degree of respect is to return to a civil discourse. That necessarily starts at the top. Name-calling and making up “cute” derogatory names for your political opponent does not impress us. Politicians engaging in this conduct make us cringe; most of us were able to stop that nonsense by the third grade.

Michael Reidy, Middleburg Heights

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