common ground

I fear “common ground” dialogues because I fear a liberal impotence nurtured by a deep-seated culture of “civility” and conflict-avoidance.

When leaders in the pro-choice movement start to speculate about restricting abortion rights to appease the anti-choice movement, they have lost sight of what the pro-choice movement is about: respecting women as moral decision makers.

Some of us think that a civil public dialogue on abortion based on values, facts and outcomes would result in better public policy and less tea party rage.

Attempts to build "common ground" have restarted and are just as bound to fail as they always have been.  The problem is that anti-choice activists are habitually dishonest, and you can't have dialogue with people who insist you accept their lies.

Follow Amanda Marcotte on Twitter, @amandamarcotte

With all due respect to Charles Camosy, I hardly recognize the conference he describes in his Washington Post article. While I appreciate his efforts to organize the conference, I strongly disagree with many, if not most of his conclusions.