Civility

[ostarella]

I'm not usually one to read columnist's diatribes in the papers, particularly from religion-based columists. But this one caught my eye.

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/brad_hirschfield/2009/09/why_joe_wilson_cant_and_wont_apologize.html?hpid=talkbox1#_login&at=u%3Dostarella%26t%3D1253103252%26e%3Dostarella%40gmail.com%26h%3DJEQurCrcGR6q0F3ZJ%2BqVyw%3D%3D

I find myself hard-pressed not to agree with the man. Particularly if you read further down at some of the comments. Talk about MISSING THE POINT!

There have been discussions all over the net - on blogs, on boards, in chats - about how people don't know how to disagree any more. They don't know how to debate the issues without insulting the person who believes something different. But it's going far beyond that now. People have decided that because they're on Twitter or Facebook or MySpace or LiveJournal, or have their own webpage or blog here or there, that they're SOMEBODY. And that means that they have a right to spout their opinion at any and all opportunities and in whatever manner they wish to do so.

That's not saying people shouldn't state their opinions. But what happened to being polite? What happened to decorum? As the columnist says, what's happened to civility?

I have a rep for speaking my mind. And I do tend to speak my mind rather forcefully - on my own blogs. I also offer the opportunity for rebuttal. I've even been known to apologize on occasion. But I also know when to keep my mouth shut. I also know there's a time and a place for expressing disagreement.

I've left a couple of groups because I was sick of the behavior and the constant sniping that went on, and come close on a couple of others. I'm sick of people forgetting that their opinion isn't any more right than the next guy's. Why should we respect their opinion, or them, when they refuse to do the same?

I used to think it was just my age; young people just weren't taught any better. But I was wrong. Age doesn't matter. I've seen as many jackass comments from people my age and older as I have the young. So maybe we all need to be reminded, as Jay Leno reminded Kanye West - what would your mother say?

Hopefully your mother knew how to be polite.

Comments

[theteej2.livejournal.com]

Right on!

Very well put I might add. Civility, politeness, manners have all but died in America, and we're seeing the fruits of it played out in the media and on the 'net. Its a sad sad state we are in.

[ostarella.livejournal.com]

There's a book I want to get - it's called "The Death of the Grown-Up", by Diana West. Part of the blurb says, "the disease that killed [grown-ups] emerged in the fifties, leading to a nation of eternal adolescents who can't say no, a politically correct population that doesn't know right from wrong."

Pretty much says it all.