“When did our national discourse become so consumed with the state of our national discourse?”

When did our national discourse become so consumed with the state of our national discourse? Rarely has so much public dialogue been dedicated to arguing over what can’t be said, who can’t say it and just how they shouldn’t put it. It has always been politically profitable to frame your opponents’ rhetoric as irrational, cruel, even dangerous. But our now-­constant public skirmishes over speech have moved to another level entirely: These days, the closer you can situate your opponents’ words to actual violence, the better.

Amanda Hess, “Battle Cry”, The New York Times Magazine (20 August 2017), 9.