Of course, we are having this discussion not because of the Tucson shootings, but because of the media’s coverage of the shootings. Conservatives had every right to be offended by the Left’s initial knee-jerk narrative blaming conservative rhetoric. Yet, as I mentioned on Meet the Press and discussed with Hugh Hewitt last week, the tendency of conservatives to spend their time overcorrecting this ludicrous narrative contributes to the problem. We should spend 10 percent of our time discussing how to discuss the problem and the other 90 percent discussing the problem. The more time we spend defending ourselves the less time we have to make our case about issues that matter…

Keeping the debate focused on issues, not media personalities or politicians, is important because the goal of some on the left — whether deliberate or not — is censorship, not civility. They don’t want conservatives making their case. If dissent can be labeled “uncivil” then they have won the debate. The perverse logic of this censorship argument goes something like this: If delivering information about the condition of the country and the severity of our problems makes people angry, then the people who deliver such information are uncivil and contributing to a climate of hatred and vitriol. Obviously, the problem is the problem itself, not those who explain the problem.