Where Has Civility Gone?

This article was written and published in Panorama four years ago. Although, I do not like to repeat my commentaries, this one seems appropriate to republish. Growing up as a young boy in central Arkansas until age nine and then moving to north central Washington State, I lived by the same set of civil-polite rules; loosely defined as my grandmother’s golden rule “if you have nothing good to say then keep your mouth shut and listen.”

I wonder if that “Golden Rule” would work well in today’s public discourse, especially the part about being willing to listen and understand what others have to say before putting in your own “two cents worth.” So I ask again, where has all the civility gone? That is a question I keep asking myself daily. I wonder where all the respect has gone when opinions differ.

This subject comes up in my daily interactions with people that I have known and respected for many years. It has caused me, at times, to second guess my understanding of what civility is. I looked it up in a Webster’s… yes it still exists. Civility is defined as formal politeness and courtesy in behavior and speech.

I think I can safely say that by turning on the television to CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC you will see what a lack of civility looks and sounds like. Every day you get to see how someone with a different point of view is treated.

The current world of politics has simply gone crazy with conservatives and liberals not being able to agree on anything and just continually shout each other down. The Moderates, unfortunately, are mostly pushed aside in order to allow more shouting to occur because Moderates are viewed as being too agreeable and, of course, defeat the purpose of shouting.

Gone are the days when people sat down and had honest, vibrant discussions that addressed the issues, not the personalities. The answer to the lack of civility might be going back to my grandmother’s “Golden Rule,” which would be an excellent beginning.

I chose to repeat this article because in todays hyped up and politically partisan times, it is worth remembering that at the end of the day, we are all Americans! As such, we should not refer to one another as Un-American, Anti American, or Disloyal because we happen to have different views about a wide range of subjects. Personally, I would never refer to anyone using these terms.

Shouldn’t we all feel this way?