Last week's election is still fresh on our minds, and wounds take time to heal. The question we must now answer is whether our scarred society will demand better once we're mended. One can only hope.

For most people, civility translates to quieter, measured and (one hopes) thoughtful discussion (vs. the raised voices and uncomfortable feelings we associated with what we've come to think of as uncivil behavior).

I'm not sure what happens in other states, but here, it goes beyond radio and television. At a party last weekend, the tunes on Pandora were interspersed with messages about the importance of somebody's China policy.

If you hate my opinion, fine. If I hate your opinion, fine. But for goodness sake, have your own opinion. And back it up. Otherwise, it's just flapping lips and air. And it hurts everything it touches, including America.

Hate-mongering in any form is not a permissible political strategy. There must be a consensus among both Republicans and Democrats that the demonization of the President of the United States, or anyone else for that matter, will be neither tolerated nor rewarded.

Every year that incivility in politics increases and is showcased and exploited by political parties and the media, average, every day Americans become more "in your face."

A political firestorm erupted in the tiny rural hamlet of Fancy Farm, Kentucky, last weekend when a scandalous speech delivered by Governor Steve Beshear received universal approbation from political insiders and the capital press corps.

Alright, you know each other. Now here are the rules: No hitting below the belt. The reason for this is that you will neither be happy nor particularly disposed toward being at all communicative on any level, let alone a civil one.

The Arizona shooting is an unmitigated tragedy, but if this event can fuel a transformation in our public discourse, it will be a small glimmer on a dark moment in history.

Let's consider how the career of Gabrielle Giffords, and the good will she inspires from political supporters and opponents alike, makes her so quintessentially American and so classically heroic.

If we manage to see the good qualities in our opponents, we collectively arrive at the truth much more quickly. In this way, we are much more likely to learn from one another.

Shouldn't those of us who claim to follow the Prince of Peace be able to stand firmly upon our convictions without being offensive, cutting or downright mean?