In Search of Civil Discourse

I walked through a dounut shop recently, before in-house seating was returned, and found the SOFTIES busy solving the world's problems, at a picnic table outside of the doors.

They were following the new social norms, mostly. There were about six at the table, six who looked like they have spent so much life together they knew each other better than their wives did.

It is a scene repeated in coffee houses, and lunch and breakfast counters frequently, especially in small towns and close-knit neighborhoods. It is also a glaring missing link in how some regions are managing their populations in r...