When you go to hear elected officials or political candidates discuss the issues of the day, be polite as well as respectful of others attending the event.

Feel free to be — and in fact we encourage you to be — challenging, assertive and skeptical of what you hear. Make the officeholders and candidates talk with you, not at you.

That’s good for democracy.

What’s bad for democracy is screaming at, shouting down or in any way discouraging conversation.

Here’s an example, taken from a memo from the Tea Party Patriots, a group that wants members to harass Democratic lawmakers:

“Be disruptive early and often. You need to rock the boat early in the rep’s presentation. Watch for an opportunity to yell out and challenge the rep’s statements early. … The goal is to rattle him, get him off his prepared script and agenda. If he says something outrageous, stand up and shout out and sit right back down. Look for these opportunities before he even takes questions.”

There’s a bad idea. These tactics are not productive and probably won’t change any minds.

So how about if we try to show each other as well as our elected leaders, love ’em or hate ’em, a little respect?

— The Austin (Texas) American-Statesman, Aug. 8