Where did the respect go?

Tom settles into the Bobby Cox chair at the Ellijay Cigar Lounge for part three of the "Divided America" series and takes on the death of civil discourse — the respectful, open exchange of ideas that's supposed to help a country find common ground, and that Tom says no longer exists.

Nobody gets a pass. Tom calls out the right — Marjorie Taylor Greene, Nancy Mace, Anna Paulina Luna, Rand Paul — for putting "principles" ahead of the people they serve, and the left for media bias, labels, and political violence. Then he gets to the fix, which starts with regular people: the next time someone disagrees with you, don't insult them. Ask them why.

Timestamps 0:00 – Welcome: RIP Bobby Cox 1:45 – Keeping the cigar lit 2:24 – What civil discourse actually is 3:05 – Calling out the right: MTG, Nancy Mace, Anna Paulina Luna, Rand Paul 6:15 – Decorum vs. stupidity: why shutting down the government helps no one 6:45 – Attack the ideas, not the person 8:55 – Calling out the left: media bias, labels, and political violence 11:00 – Protesting vs. anarchy 12:00 – Handling someone who ignores the facts: just ask "why?" 14:00 – The mental health crisis in America 15:20 – Why Tom could never be a Walmart greeter 16:28 – Do something special for someone this week

Opinions in this episode are Tom's alone and do not reflect the views of any sponsor.

Stix & Stuff Podcast with Tom Crawford | Ellijay, Georgia Sponsor inquiries: thestixandstuffpodcast.com