We've forgotten something precious: the beauty of arguing with people who disagree with us.

Real argument isn't screaming or dismissing, it's a form of respect. It says, "I believe you're reasonable enough to consider another perspective. I believe you're worth the effort it takes to explain my position and listen to yours."

This is especially crucial in academic settings. When I engage with students whose worldviews differ from mine, whether they're sophomores discovering their voices or seniors preparing to enter the world, I'm participating in something sacred: the possibility of mutual growth.

But here's the key: you can only argue with the living. The dead are beyond persuasion, beyond growth, beyond change.

That young-adult pastor/political activist and I will never have that conversation about tone and kindness. The students lost to gun violence will never challenge my assumptions or offer fresh perspectives. Those opportunities are gone.

But you're still here. Your students, colleagues, family members, neighbors. They're all still here.

The question isn't whether we should engage across differences, it's how. With passion because ideas matter. With kindness because people matter. With patience because change takes time.

Who will you have a beautiful argument with today?