Prof. Anima Anandkumar

Sure, women’s suffrage and the abolition of slavery are meaningless because they were passed without respect of opposed opinions (through a literal civil war). But sure we should prioritize a “civil and interesting discussion”. The privilege of it all...https://twitter.com/ChrSzegedy/status/1337945248601841666 …

Yes, I feel privileged that we don't need to go through a civil war every time we want to change something. I have grown up in a country, in which democratic discourse and freedom of speech was impossible and we suffered terribly under it. I certainly can appreciate this.

We still do. The difference is that today’s “wars” partially happen online. And unlike what you would want people to believe, they bring change. ie @NeurIPSConf would still have it’s old sexist name if it didn’t.

I hope we are better than this. If you call the public discourse a "war", then I am all for it. But I prefer it to be respectful as well.

I prefer change.

I respect that.

i'm trying to imagine what it looks like to practice "respectful discourse" and "civility" while also efficiently creating positive changes in 2020. do you have some examples you can point to?

For example, the way Biden got elected over Trump. Trump was/is a bully and Biden was a respectful person throughout the whole election. Not sure how much it will change, but I think it might get better if the president of the USA is not (no-so-crypto)-fascist, nepotist con-man.