The Civility Initiative

Sex, Gender, and Stereotypes

by Tyler Laws-Mahe As society asks questions about the importance and place of gender, we can all consider what stereotypes are worth keeping and what are damaging. Introduction State bills targeting transgender individuals have initiated questions about gender in sports and the interplay between the religion of healthcare providers and

Finding a Balance

by Zachary Beyler When I first sat down to write this article, its focus was on the free exercise and establishment of religion. I had almost finished it, but I felt that it lacked weight and significance even to myself. And, if such was the case for me, the author,

What's to be Done for Refugees out of Afghanistan?

In the last two weeks, there have been countless articles, social media posts, and news releases on the situation that has unfolded in Afghanistan. I think every type of shock, outrage, regret, and sorrow has been expressed throughout the world wide web. The initial shock centered around the fact that

The Altar of Freedom

Recently, I was visiting some friends in Eastern Idaho for the 4th of July. While on our way to celebrate and enjoy the day's festivities, we piled into the back of a pickup truck. As I got in I noticed on the back of the truck was a

Reparations for Tulsa

By Adam Miller What Are Reparations? Reparations take on a different meaning for different people. One prevalent interpretation is a lump sum of cash or series of payments to African Americans to compensate for slavery and other injustices perpetuated by society. Is this the only way to repair the damage

Becoming a Wàiguó Rén: An American perspective on China

I spent four months in Xi’an, Shaanxi, China, as a volunteer English teacher at the end of 2016. I learned how to haggle, how to say a handful of phrases in Chinese, and how to navigate subways, which (as a Utahn) I’d never had to do before. I

Real Gold or Fool's Gold

By Mosiah Olvera When I look back in history and then look at our current day today, I can't help but wonder, "Where are the Washingtons, Jeffersons, Hamiltons, Franklins, Adams and Lincolns of our day?" Where are the people who loved their country enough to sacrifice

The Dog and the Dragon

“The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help.’" Have you ever heard these words or some version of this quote from President Ronald Reagon? I know I have. I grew up in a conservative

Colin Kaepernick Vs. Tim Tebow

In a bizarre and intriguing sports news development,  the Jacksonville Jaguars, a professional football team, made the decision to sign former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow. After nearly a decade away from the league, head coach Urban Meyer and his staff intend to potentially “resurrect” Tebow’s career by using him

Where is Immigration? Who is Immigration? Why is Immigration

Have you ever been in a situation where people start talking about immigration and you get uncomfortable talking about it? Have you ever felt uncomfortable talking about it because you have some formed opinions about immigration but don't feel confident in your bank of knowledge on the topic

And That's The Way It Is

A quick google search for ‘the most influential news anchor of all time’ will quickly lead one to Ranker @ ranker.com.  The person that fills the top slot on this list is Walter Cronkite, who served as the CBS evening news anchor from 1962 to 1981.  For those old enough

Expanding Our Morality

We have all had, at one time or another, a major difference in opinion with someone else. Differences of opinion come in all varieties: variance in religious beliefs, in political ideologies, food preferences, and of course, as our poll last week demonstrated, Star Wars movies. While food preferences and favorite

Putting the Gloves Back On

By Grant Collins Posting about politics on social media is a step into the boxing ring. Regardless if you are the creator, you’ve probably observed the unfortunate outcome all too common in today’s polarized political arena. Friends, family, and complete strangers take off the gloves for a fight,

Respect is Earned

I had a conversation recently with a dear friend of mine, and we were discussing where the metaphorical public square is in these times. It’s not at the literal town square anymore; those are only used for mayors or other public servants making special announcements or the like. It’

Poetry is Power

When I tell my seventh-grade students we’re reading poetry, their response is usually the same: one long, collective groan. I try not to let it get to me, but it’s still disheartening. Their unenthusiastic reaction is similar to the response I hear from adults when words like “sonnet”

To The GOP: Who Are We?

The Republican Party is experiencing a significant identity crisis. Much of this has been encouraged as a result of the past four years of political choices made by the party’s most prominent leaders. In my last piece entitled, “To The GOP, How On Earth Did We Get Here?” I

Minimum Wage is a Crutch

Currently, there is a large push in the realm of US politics concerning minimum wage. Some on the left are pushing for various dollar amounts to become the new minimum wage; others on the right are pushing back out of a fear that such an increase will put undo stress

Financial and Economic Reparations

Chicago: A City of Contradictions Chicago, Illinois is a prominent—if not the most prominent—city in the Midwest of the United States. Historically, it served as a frontier city for the Old Northwest, paving the way for expansion into Missouri and the rest of the continent. In the modern

The Idea of Versus

By Courtney Bassett Apple vs. Android. GIF vs JIF. Republican vs Democrat. We live in a society that perpetuates the idea of versus. We have all seen social media posts filled with comments in which individuals use a wide variety of expletives to describe why somebody else is the devil’

In Defense of Grey

In the comedy The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, the character Cecily worries aloud about a character named Algernon (who she later falls in love with), stating, “I have never met any really wicked person before. I feel rather frightened. I am so afraid he will look just

Dear Madam Vice President

By Helen Osborn My daughter's skin is darker than mine. Her genetics include a long line of proud Hispanic men and women and mine trace solely back to Western Europe. Her eyes are the most vibrant brown, reminding me of the lines in the center of a mahogany

What are we? Four?

We’ve all heard it. We’ve all seen it. We’ve all said it. “He did it too,” or “She started it.” As any adult would know, this is a child’s argument. This argument is one we are very keen on rooting out of our children by telling

Civility in the Face of Injustice

By Sarah Habermaas Civility has always been a topic of discomfort for me. It was always something that my professors in undergrad pushed, and I agreed with. However, the way that it was implemented and treated, especially by my peers, made me uncomfortable. This was in no small part due

To The GOP, How On Earth Did We Get Here?

The Republican Party is no longer the Grand Old Party. This is a thought I’ve struggled to come to terms with for the past several years of my life. I have always been proud of my Republican heritage and the fact that I’m a member of a party

Moderation in Modern Politics

By Micah Cozzens In the social media frenzy following the Capitol Riots on January 6th, 2021, I didn’t see many responses I would classify as moderate or much rhetoric I would characterize as civil. My Facebook feed consisted mostly of people infuriated that one of the rioters--a female veteran--had