I was trying to argue with manners during a panel forum when my mic stopped working. “Is the mic working? Can you hear me in the back?” I asked loudly. Someone in the back of the room screamed at the top of his voice, "I can't hear you talk!" At which time a lady in the front row piped up, "Hey fella, that's perfect! Let's switch seats now." A great communicator's success, to a large degree, comes from an ability to argue with manners and without causing undue fatigue or frustration to those participating. The level of persistent disagreement around public policy today is disheartening but unlikely to abate. The constant vitriol is creating problems and enormous challenges in our communities – challenges that are disruptive to business, stable government, safety and to civil order. But in...