Civil Discourse Campaign Rationale
When our groupfirst got together to brainstorm our Civility campaign, we tossed arounddifferent meanings of the word in today’s context. In a time of heightened politics and what we considerednegative communication between Americans, we decided to focus our campaign onthe power “Civil Discourse” has had on the history of the United States. Where would America be withoutcongenial conversation? How manyinventive ideas were shot down by non-civil discourse? This led to our campaign slogan “I tooka stand and said ‘Yes, and…’”.
“Yes, and” drivesour campaign, but what is the meaning of “Yes, and”?
There’s one way to turn a conversation into an argument; theword “but” implies negativity and turns any conversation into a sided argument. For example, if one person says theyare Pro-Choice and their opposition says, “butwhat about murdering a developed embryo”, a negative clash will ensue. By eliminating “but” from the argument,replacing it with “yes, and”, the argument becomes open to the ideas of allparties participating. In thisexample it would proceed as such:
Pro-Choice: “Ibelieve in Pro-Choice because women have the right to their own bodies.”
Pro-Life: “Yes, and women should not be usingabortions as a form of birth control.”
Byreplacing “but” with “yes, and” more ideas will be heard, less counter-arguingwith little resolve will take place, and civil discourse will become an activepart of social conduct.
Asfor our designs, we began by asking ourselves what made America great inrelation to civil discourse. Weall agreed on our freedom of speech. No matter how controversial or extraordinary a person’s ideals might bethe fact that American’s have a freedom to speak their ideals aloud has madeAmerica what it is today. Therewill always be a clash of ideals. At one point it was said that the American west was the final frontier,but within a few centuries space became the final frontier, followed closely bythe Internet. There always hasbeen opposition in America and from that opposition America has developed intosomething unique and strong.
Therefore,our creative is made up of famous American speeches, debates and othercontroversies that could be righted by the use of “yes, and” over “but”. These ideals build our nation into astronger union made up of controversies. American symbols such as the flag, Lady Liberty’s flame and our nation’slandmass are made up of these contested ideas which are bound together by “yes,and”.
When our groupfirst got together to brainstorm our Civility campaign, we tossed arounddifferent meanings of the word in today’s context. In a time of heightened politics and what we considerednegative communication between Americans, we decided to focus our campaign onthe power “Civil Discourse” has had on the history of the United States. Where would America be withoutcongenial conversation? How manyinventive ideas were shot down by non-civil discourse? This led to our campaign slogan “I tooka stand and said ‘Yes, and…’”.
“Yes, and” drivesour campaign, but what is the meaning of “Yes, and”?
There’s one way to turn a conversation into an argument; theword “but” implies negativity and turns any conversation into a sided argument. For example, if one person says theyare Pro-Choice and their opposition says, “butwhat about murdering a developed embryo”, a negative clash will ensue. By eliminating “but” from the argument,replacing it with “yes, and”, the argument becomes open to the ideas of allparties participating. In thisexample it would proceed as such:
Pro-Choice: “Ibelieve in Pro-Choice because women have the right to their own bodies.”
Pro-Life: “Yes, and women should not be usingabortions as a form of birth control.”
Byreplacing “but” with “yes, and” more ideas will be heard, less counter-arguingwith little resolve will take place, and civil discourse will become an activepart of social conduct.
Asfor our designs, we began by asking ourselves what made America great inrelation to civil discourse. Weall agreed on our freedom of speech. No matter how controversial or extraordinary a person’s ideals might bethe fact that American’s have a freedom to speak their ideals aloud has madeAmerica what it is today. Therewill always be a clash of ideals. At one point it was said that the American west was the final frontier,but within a few centuries space became the final frontier, followed closely bythe Internet. There always hasbeen opposition in America and from that opposition America has developed intosomething unique and strong.
Therefore,our creative is made up of famous American speeches, debates and othercontroversies that could be righted by the use of “yes, and” over “but”. These ideals build our nation into astronger union made up of controversies. American symbols such as the flag, Lady Liberty’s flame and our nation’slandmass are made up of these contested ideas which are bound together by “yes,and”.
Group Project:
Ann Bills
Colin Parajon
Ryan Kitchens
Taylor Trevino
Kearsten Howland
Ann Bills
Colin Parajon
Ryan Kitchens
Taylor Trevino
Kearsten Howland
