LOWV Local Essay Contest, March 27

COOS BAY — The League of Women Voters of Coos County offers students an opportunity to earn money toward college through an essay contest on the topic, “How can we promote civil discourse?” Winners will receive a cash prize and be invited to read their essay at a public event in May. “Civil” means “courteous and polite.” “Civil” also means “pertaining to activities in the public sphere.” “Civil discourse” is the practice of discussing topics in public forums without descending to abusive communication. Hot words are nothing new in political campaigns, but the temperature of public gatherings and legislative deliberations has unquestionably risen in the past few years, especially after the 2016 elections. As our national ideological divides widen, how will we turn heat into light? The League of Women Voters of Coos County invites Coos County and Reedsport middle & high school and college students to write a 250–300 word essay answering the question, “How can we promote civil discourse?” The second part of the challenge is to distill your main idea in a tweet with the hashtag #civildiscourse. Visit http://tinyurl.com/lwvessay for some ideas about civil discourse to get you started. Submit your essay online at http://tinyurl.com/lwvessay by Monday, April 15th.