The criticism Boehner is receiving is entirely self-inflicted. He had an opportunity to make a statement on behalf of his party about national unity in the face of unspeakable violence, and he punted. Clearly he should have known how that would look: petty and disrespectful. And that’s regardless of the extenuating circumstances.

Could it be that he was actually afraid of committing the House GOP to standing with the President, lest he get blowback from his political base?

In his remarkable speech Wednesday night at the “Together We Thrive” gathering in Tucson, President Obama offered up words of hope that in responding to the tragedy in Tucson, we should strive to improve our civil discourse and to live up to the example that young Christina Green expected in how our democracy should function. The word “civil” has many shades of meaning in the context of Obama’s speech and in our society. Considering these meanings brings to mind some suggestions for how our country can move forward.