Is civility dead? Maybe, if you ask some people. But when differing minds escape from the confines of Twitter, you’d be surprised what can happen.
This week, liberal activist and actress Alyssa Milano and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz proved that civil discourse is still alive and well when they met to discuss gun control, even though the meeting, which began as a challenge on Twitter, did not seem to be off to a particularly auspicious start.
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“We can live-stream the meeting so the American people can hear your bullshit 1st hand,” Milano told the senator from Texas after they began sparring over gun control on Twitter.
I’d love to come in and meet with you on the gun issue and many other issues that include life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, @tedcruz and also, 1 Peter 4:8.
I’ll be in DC next week. We can live-stream the meeting so the American people can hear your bullshit 1st hand. https://t.co/S3ljfjjOtG
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) September 2, 2019
The meeting itself, however, was surprisingly cordial. The two gathered in Washington on Tuesday, along with Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was a victim of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Deadline reported:
‘That is why this meeting was so important to me — I wanted to look at you in the eye and know that you really are a human with a heartbeat,’ she told him.
The two discussed different proposals, from background checks to the prosecution of gun cases. Neither of them may have changed their mind, but they proved, at least, that earnest political discussion is possible.
I just left. He was gracious. I’m unsure if it changes anything. But appreciative for the opportunity to bridge the divide with civil, meaningful, discussion. Link to entire meeting below. #NoRA https://t.co/tAAzPXt5hW
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) September 10, 2019
Thank you for coming & having a positive, civil & substantive conversation. I hope it helps bridge some of the angry divides in our Nation and that Congress can come together to stop violent gun crime while protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. https://t.co/GJTADwbaW7
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 10, 2019
Afterward, Milano said both Republicans and Democrats want to fix the gun violence epidemic. She posted a statement to Instagram: “We can’t solve gun violence by talking only with people who agree with us. I’m grateful for the opportunity to speak to Senator Cruz, and I hope our discussion inspires Americans across the political spectrum to reach across the partisan divides in our nation.”
Cruz and Milano’s meeting reminds us that people can still have civil debates across the aisle, and it gives us one important tip for how make them happen: get off Twitter.
