Thoughts on political discussion

Or: How to have a political discussion that doesn’t devolve into a screaming match — some rules for all participants to follow. Know the difference between a fact and an opinion. “Corporate profits are higher now than ever before” is a fact that can be demonstrated by referring to data. “Handgun ownership leads to increased crime” is an opinion; trends in data are not consistent, and proving causality is problematic given the number of other factors that vary.