Given the disturbing events in Tucson, it is not surprising that the President and others are calling for a more civil political dialogue. I agree with their call, but before we get too far down the road, we should make sure that we are talking about the same “civility.”

I believe much of the civility backlash stems from a lack of understanding of what true civility really is. Civility is not feigned attempts at niceness. Civility does not require that we compromise our position. And true civility does not even ask that we like each other. What genuine civility does require is that we listen; that we remain respectful; and that we act upon the ideal that gave birth to this nation – all men are created equal. This requires the maturity to extend civility though it may not be returned.

However as a conservative, I bothers me to see that too many on the right are choosing the path of least resistance here, namely to scream louder, point fingers at those “hypocrites, and throw broad-brush insults. This may get them noticed in the short run, but over the long haul this type of behavior undermines and marginalizes the very cause for which they seem to be fighting for.

The author of the post “On Civility” is correct in that today we face a monumental task. Our debt is unsustainable; our economy is shaky at best; and our ideological divide has never been greater. But calls to “shove civility up their ass” will do little to improve the situation. Instead we should look to examples of the past where impossible odds were overcome.

There is a reason Washington’s presence at the Convention was critical to its success. Others, like Sam and John Adams, Patrick Henry, and even Thomas Jefferson simply did not have the reputation of civility, which engendered the trust of all sides and could give a constitutional convention the weight it needed for the monumental task at hand. The life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. is another testament to the power of civility. These men were passionate. They did not compromise. But they understood the power of civility and cultivated it.

The question for us remains: do we have the courage to follow in the footsteps of a Washington or a Dr. King? For the sake of future generations, I hope we do.

Today on our radio show, The Conservative Professor, I threw out my top 5 books for conservatives if I were going to create a Conservative 101.

1. The Law: Fredric Bastiat
2. American Cause: Russell Kirk
3. Conservative Mind: Russell Kirk
4. Commentaries on the Constitution: Joseph Story
5. Road to Serfdom: F.A. Hayek

What would you add/subtract from this list and why?