Today, amidst the devastation of COVID-19, and the uprising of Black Lives Matter, Helio Fred Garcia has a message for modern society, “We need to reclaim civility in public discourse.”
In an interview with KSFR’s MK Mendoza, Garcia explains how American political discourse frequently uses incendiary language. He outlines 12 patterns of language that can provoke violence, and how engaged citizens can hold their leaders accountable for using it. Ultimately, Garcia says, there are tools to keep people in a civil mindset when speaking with others. He offers them in his book, “Words on Fire.”
Helio Fred Garcia is a professor of communication, ethics, and leadership at the University of New York and Columbia University. He has advised governments, factions of the U.S. Military, religious leaders, CEO’s, and university presidents on leadership and communication.