Current events have moved many of us to realize it wouldn’t take much to see violence replace informed debate and reason.

Seeking to settle race issues with violence nearly destroyed our nation once before. The Civil War which tore America apart offers an urgently needed lesson to us now about violence.

Very briefly:

The raging debate that positioned north against south, states rights advocates against nationalists, and abolitionists against slave holders became so viral that it even destroyed the love that had previously existed between blood relatives.

Slavery - which was widely believed to be a “good idea” throughout the United States - remained legal, for example, in Delaware.

A minority of “Delawareans” thought slavery was absolutely wrong and wanted it abolished. Others wanted to keep slavery legal, while still others felt that it was an institution that would pass away all by itself.

In spite of this most Delawarean people were of the opinion that war should be avoided at all cost.

When the war came, Delaware stayed in the Union but the divisions between the citizens was so intense that no major election could be held in Delaware without Federal troops being present at polling places. The war tore apart cities, life long friendships, and closely knit families. Tiny Delaware felt the nightmare of division that any war can bring.

Force and violence became the solution for many. Informed debate and dissent withered.

Most people today understand that slavery - along with the slaughter and displacement of “native americans” - was the greatest evil to ever be tolerated by our nation or its leaders.

We can only wonder why that could not be universally seen in former days. How could something so evil have been tolerated? And how did informed debate and dissent turn to violence?

Dissent keeps a nation healthy. Teddy Roosevelt said, “To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand behind him right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”

One of the terrible byproducts of national debate is the constant inference that one side is “truly patriotic” while the other has destructive intent. Such accusations serve only to inflame hearers, followers, and the opposition.

Today dissent is often dismissed as the rhetoric of folks who have a “hidden agenda” that undermines our nation. Accusing the other side of having an agenda isn’t exactly swimming in the deep end of discussion. It’s pretty obvious that no one is immune from using the public forum to put forth an opinion on an issue they feel “must be heard.” And I’d say that’s a pretty fair description of “having an agenda” - even without all of the evil insinuations attached.

In the absence of absolute proof I believe that intentions and motives should be left out of most public discussions. Facts are the best weapons in any honest debate. Name calling usually is resorted to in the absence of facts - not the presence of them.

Facts have a habit of taking longer to prove themselves true than most of us are willing to wait for. But when they do it becomes clear who was blind, who was right, and what the cost really was.

Over 600,000 people died in the Civil War. Some say many more. We ache as we look back at the family members who took each others lives - and if we are wise we should learn from their loss.

My hope is this: That in every discussion and debate we will have the good sense to see the danger that a “civil war” in our midst can lead to and that we will allow private correspondence, peace in public forums, and honest, factual "give and take" to win the day.

Peace has to begin with me. Peace has to begin with you. Regardless of our personal feelings about contemporary issues we should strive to promote peace and non violence everywhere we can. The measure of respect and love and tolerance we demonstrate toward others - especially those who differ from us - may not be returned “in kind” immediately, but it can pay huge dividends to our cause in the end.