Here at Open to Debate, we love a contentious, even sometimes heated, competition of ideas. Disagreement is our bread and butter. And yet, civility and respect for one another’s opposing ideas remains a central tenant of our mission. So when Ellen DeGeneres caught the white-hot flame of Twitter this week for attending a football game with former president George W. Bush, and subsequently defended her friendship, we couldn’t have been prouder. For a recap, here’s what happened:
On Sunday, Ellen and her wife Portia de Rossi were invited to a Dallas Cowboys game in Arlington by Charlotte Jones, the daughter of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. All was well and good until this image of President Bush and Ellen laughing started circulating the web.
It wasn’t long before the confusion of why an outspoken LGBT activist and liberal television host would be chummy with a former Republican president.
Quickly turned into outrage.
The intense response even prompted DeGeneres to publicly respond on her show, and breakdown why it’s so crucial to be kind and to be friends with those whom you disagree.
Yes, that was me at the Cowboys game with George W. Bush over the weekend. Here’s the whole story. pic.twitter.com/AYiwY5gTIS
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) October 8, 2019
Here’s to Ellen and President Bush, showing America that civility isn’t dead.