Does the New Right Represent the End of Civilized Debate?

[Zoroastor]

Are town hall meetings and other open public discussions a thing of the past?

http://cons-lie.com/2010/06/23/free-speech-you-get-what-you-pay-for/

[Abq_Sarah]

1. All sides seem to believe

"Debate" means bullying people into accepting your position.

[haele]

3. Difference between being loud to be heard, being a bully, or defending against a bully -

I've heard loud but ultimately amicable debates where everyone is yelling until someone starts playing negotiator, and positions are eventually reached with some sort of consensus. When people have a passion and want to be heard, it gets noisy and may seem to be intimidating. That's the way liberals usually debate.
And then I've heard "debates" on touchy subjects where it's usually the more entrenched status-quo-promoting majority(*cough*...conservitives)won't agree to hear anything other than their own position - the "that's the way it is, period, end of subject" crowd who don't like people messing with "their country".
Ultimately, is the attack in the action, or the reaction to the action? Is the purpose of the attack offensive or defensive? Many people will view an aggressive reaction to their own aggressive actions as an attack.

Haele

[damntexdem]

2. Or just the end of civilization?

Or can progressives reclaim civilized debate, including town halls and open public discussions? Can we revive civilization?