Reader's view: Recommit to civility to heal divided nation

Given the divisiveness of this election year, I am pleased when I see local elected leaders able to set their partisan differences aside and call for unity for the American people. Duluth Mayor Emily Larson and St. Louis County Commissioner Pete Stauber deserve commendation for their unity community event (“Leaders ask for unity after election,” Nov. 14).
Our political leaders at all levels - national, state and local - should model the behavior shown in the Northland. Our democracy is built on the principle that using constructive, civil debate is the best way to work for the betterment of our country. Given the heated rhetoric of this campaign, we must rededicate ourselves to that founding principle and pledge to bring back civility.
At the National Institute for Civil Discourse, we strive to get all public officials, regardless of party affiliation, to uphold the civil ideals that Mayor Larson and Commissioner Stauber demonstrated. We’ve launched a national campaign, #ReviveCivility, to encourage citizens, the media and politicians to sign on to our standards of conduct and stand up against incivility.
Now that Election Day has come and gone, it is time for people from all ends of the political spectrum to come together and work to heal our divided nation. I invite you to join us at nicd.arizona.edu/revivecivility.
Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer
Washington, D.C.
The writer is executive director of the nonpartisan National Institute for Civil Discourse (nicd.arizona.edu/) at the University of Arizona.