Editor, Gazette-Journal:

Most, if not all, of us are upset, dismayed, dispirited and angry by the actions, talk and manner with which our elected members of Congress interact with one another. Formerly, I regarded such action to be the product of the loss of civility in public discourse. I have come to believe that this issue contains dynamics that are more insidious and dangerous. In my opinion, the lack of civility is emerging from the absence of curiosity and humility on the part of many of our elected leaders. Each party seems to believe, deeply, in the absolute rightness and the truth of its position. Curiosity and humility are unneeded virtues because "the other" is simply wrong and that "other" is dismissed, often with arrogant disdain. In my 40-year career as a pastoral counselor, this dynamic was often the core of the trouble for the couples who came to me for marital counseling … "I am right, you are wrong and you need to change."

Sa...