Response: The Gravity of Consensus, the Case for Contest

Against the merits of discomfort, however, participants worried about lasting damage—their second preoccupation. Not all contests are benign, and not all disagreements take place in radio interviews or public meetings. After November, Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman collided fatally in Florida, their conflicting beliefs still intact. In the United States today, plenty of people wear hoodies and plenty of people carry guns. As a political mode, contest encourages wider constituencies, less-familiar voices, alternate narratives—and true fear.