In another case of positive news, it appears the rest of the country is not following Washington D.C. when it comes to open discussion and debate.

From secret spying by the executive branch to closed-door meetings in Congress, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest we are becoming a society that sees no evil and hears no evil. Washington, it seems, is less willing to discuss the tough issues in open committee hearings.

In a closed door session late last year, lawmakers changed Medicare law to add millions of dollars in cost. And the meetings to discuss the secret spying program, are, ironically enough, mostly secret.

But some local examples suggest the rest of America, or at least Midwesterners, are creating more discussions more debate about the issues of the future.

Mankato’s Envision 2020 process is one of the best examples of how people of differing political stripes are coming together, finding common ground, setting goals and then making a plan to achieve those goals.

The Regional Forum, formerly called Citizens Voices, has restarted its monthly open public policy debates. The group of average citizens usually pick a topic, invite two speakers to discuss both sides of a sometimes controversial topic and then invite the audience to participate.

The Loft and Static magazine are sponsoring a “Speak Out” program at the Coffee Hag to discuss technology and the role it plays in daily life.

Just recently, the Center for Rural Policy and Development received a grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation to organize events of civic engagement on rural issues.

The $265,000 will help support the group’s Rural Minnesota Journal, which offers a collection of poignant essays from highly educated individuals on rural issues. The money also will support statewide policy forums and an interactive online atlas of Minnesota.

All of this information, all of this debating not only leads to better solutions to the problems of the day, but it creates cohesiveness in the community. It helps people understand a point of view other than their own.

Debate and discussion are the building blocks of any good public policy in a democracy. It’s good to see those bridges are being built in the heartland, if not in Washington.