We live in highly contentious times.  In bygone days, politicians not only worked with each other across the aisle, but made actual friends of one another — for example, Republican president Ronald Reagan and Democratic House speaker Tip O'Neill.  Nowadays, this is pretty rare, if it exists at all.  At one time, Senators Joe Biden and James O. Eastland were at least civil to one another; they were of the same party, but not the same philosophy. At present, there is much more heat than light in political discussions.  It occurs among the famous and has percolated down to ordinary folk.  Numerous long-term loving marriages have broken up due to the rampant acerbity.  One side calls the other communists; the other replies with charges of Nazism.  Epithets such as "racist," "profiteer," "callous," "selfish," "deplorable," and "free-market...(Read Full Post)