On Saturday, June 23, at 11 a.m., "Civil Discourse Now" will return from hiatus. The format of The Show will a bit different from our usual format. Members of the public always have been welcome to watch. We have had audiences. The main audience to which The Show has been directed, however, has been through the internet—and this is not meant as a slight to Kurt, Art, Janice, Jeff, and others who have turned out to watch. When we first started, the aim was to gain access to audience through the internet. Long-term I wanted to have a live audience attend.

   I had thought I would be able to announce where The Show will be shot. I shall learn that today. Owners of the bars who/that are litigants in the litigation against the City of Indianapolis, the County of Marion, the City-County Council, and the Mayor were going to draw the name of a bar out of a hat and let me know today the venue for Saturday’s Show.

   The title of The Show implies the nature of what occurs. That means there are unwritten rules, about which I previously have blogged. We engage in civil discourse. By "civil" we mean polite. There is no name-calling. People do not talk (or, worse, shout) over one another. One person speaks at a time, and for a reasonable period. We shoot in 14-minute segments. If someone cannot say what she or he needs to say in two minutes, that person needs to wrap up. Let someone else talk. If one person on The Show genuinely does not like another person on The Show—so what? Each person should show respect to the other. Also, this is "discourse": to communicate thought by words, talk, and conversation.  In order to communicate, it is as (or more) important to listen to one’s opponent as to speak one’s mind.

   Later today I shall post the "where" of Saturday’s Show, as well as the members of the panel who will take the position in favor of the ordinance that now bans smoking in most places. Whatever the venue, I believe it will require any attendees to be 21 years of age or older.

   So come on out and watch. What would be just as good, come on out and listen and speak your mind. We should be able to express ourselves in a rational fashion on this topic. If we do, maybe the ordinance will be repealed.