Forum for civil debate appreciated

I recently wrote a letter to Superintendent Richard Drury thanking him for changing Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200's approach to President Obama's message to students. The day after the speech, the district showed the message to students during their social studies classes.

I know that many other people voiced their concerns about what we felt was a political decision and a poor decision. While I felt that it is a "no brainer" to show the president's speech, others feel strongly otherwise. Although there has been much contentiousness over the president's address to America's students,

I am pleased to see so many people having a reasonable discussion. Certainly there are vocal individuals and groups on all sides of the political spectrum that have a goal to escalate discourse into nonsense - how many times will people debase their arguments by making Hitler comparisons?

I feel these voices are loud but in the minority. I feel there are far more people who despite having different opinions still desire reasonable discourse. I feel the voices of reason from all beliefs, all political views, and all backgrounds can drown out those who wish to only create divisiveness and discord.

Make this our goal. Do not allow sensitive and controversial subjects to spin into situations like we have seen at some town hall meetings on health care. Thank you, Dr. Drury, for listening to the voices of the community and making a reasonable decision, and thank you, Daily Herald, for giving the community a forum to voice a reasonable discussion.

Gary Lorber

Wheaton