My heartfelt hope is that you and others like you will start a trend.

I currently see reasonable and harebrained ideas in nearly equal measure from both sides of the political divide. The differences are the same as they always were, but thoughtless comments now travel at the speed of a touch or a mouse-click, so everyone is angry all the time.

My revolt against the politics of my family began in kindergarten with the assassination of President Kennedy. My father’s sole comment was a muttered “good.”

I was five. Taking the parental cue, my response to the president’s murder became “I’m glad he’s dead.” This caused quite an uproar in my small classroom — and rightfully so — but as I said, I was five.

Now that offensive — and even merely thoughtless — remarks have high-speed reach, small flash-fires of momentary outrage are relentlessly fueled to become conflagrations.

I see no positive outcome to the current course. If we do not learn to listen to each other, we’ve had it. Good on your father for setting an example we all need to follow.