The Cardinal Way: Civility Rules
We may agree to disagree on issues, but we are hoping that we can do so without becoming disagreeable. At the end of the day, we seek to remember that there is more to our neighbors than their political yard signs and that we might even find common ground on which we all can stand.
Cardinal Way publishes essays on difficult issues and offers readers surveys and avenues to express their views in a civil way.
Featured articles
Cardinal Way collection of civil debate
Former Roanoke College president: How to avoid falling into ‘the corn trap’
We are all susceptible to reaching fact-free opinions.
Former Roanoke College president: We should celebrate differences in our society
The World Cup offers lessons in how to deal with differences.
Former Hollins president: How we respond after we realize we hurt someone else is a mark of civility
A story from Nepal spanning five years shows what can happen when people go out of their way to make a situation right.
Former Roanoke College president: Demands and rewards on display during commencement season
Another in a series of periodic commentaries by retired college presidents on the subject of civility.
Former University of Lynchburg president: What the Challenger explosion can teach us
The Challenger disaster underscores the importance of getting outside your own limited experience.
Former Roanoke College president: Civility at Kroger check out
Small acts of civility lead to lessened conflict and more harmony, contributing to a world where confrontations are diminished.
Former University of Lynchburg president: Why we should encourage honest criticism
Sometimes criticism is valid and we ought to listen to it.
Former Jefferson College president: Treat others as equals
The ability to treat others as equals when one is inherently in an advantageous position is a virtue to be cultured.
Former Hollins president: Why we should listen before we speak
Listening is particularly hard in a time when we are overloaded with information and misinformation, and opinions are deeply and rigidly entrenched.
Retired college presidents: George Washington’s book on civility inspired a Virginia college president to write his own
During his presidency at Shenandoah, Jim Davis became intrigued by “The Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation,” a book George Washington,…
Fun and silly? Or wildly out of touch? Readers weigh in on Salem RidgeYaks name
Salem’s minor league baseball team has changed its name. Reaction is … divided.
Are mandatory student fees for athletics a reasonable charge or an excessive tax for semi-pro sports? Our readers weigh in.
Some said intercollegiate sports should be self-supporting, others found Virginia Tech’s proposed increase reasonable in comparison to other schools.
Is heckling a politician ‘not the Virginia way’ or acceptable ‘freedom of speech’? Here’s what readers had to say.
The annual Labor Day event in Buena Vista was marked by people heckling some of the political candidates while they spoke.
What really happened in Buena Vista: A Democratic perspective
The story of Labor Day in Buena Vista wasn’t about “heckling.” It was about people who are “tired of being told to sit down, be…
What really happened in Buena Vista: A Republican perspective
Democrats have become a hate mob, says the chairman of the 6th Congressional District Republicans.
