A civil discussion

Light, heat or fireworks. Those are the effects that could be generated Saturday afternoon at Lakota Local Schools central office when the local NAACP chapter hosts a wide-open community forum on race.

The forum comes on the heels of an ugly controversy over the staging of the play, Ten Little Indians, which contained a racial slur in its original title. The district cancelled the performance then reinstated it, alienating people with each decision.

So a forum is needed -- a carefully moderated forum. The same care must be taken with any public-engagement efforts the district undertakes.

Our complex, diverse society generates more and more need for open dialogue on sensitive issues. Unfortunately, we not only have few opportunities and venues in which to conduct them, we often lack the skills for civilized debate. These are tough issues. Most of the time, we'd rather ignore them or postpone the discussion. And now we have the delicious, dangerous option of blogs and emails and talk radio where we can weigh in anonymously -- and viciously.

Good luck to any group brave enough to open the door to honest conversation. But be advised: Do it cavalierly and you'll jump from mess to total disaster.