Community requires individuals to have the option of speaking up. If we’re in this together, we ought to be able to chime in.

But while every member of the community can speak out, the ones that are heard also have something useful to say. Being informed is a requirement to be heard.

Sometimes, our insight can come from firsthand experience, but it’s most likely that we’ve learned about the issue and the alternatives we face.

Education is at the heart of the conversation. Organized schooling, substantial peer engagement and intelligent media consumption give us a chance to earn our opinion.

Successful communities celebrate learning.