Respect and Civility?

What does it take to bring these two terms into the political discourse?  That is my question for the day.  Over the past twenty-five years the rhetoric between the two mainstream political parties has become increasingly polarizing, fueled by media and the entertainment industry looking for copy to plaster across their products.

I realize now the politicians are caught up in this process and are powerless to alter it, swept along in the hate and pettiness, spewing forth from the extreme left and right.  New social media seems to encourage this extremism and is played for political advantage by many leading politicians.

We repeatedly see comments on twitter or other such stream of consciousness communications calling for someone’s death or dismemberment.  When tornados struck northern Alabama, there were several examples of people applauding these tragedies because they happened in a state whose Senators and Congressmen question the theories of Global Warming.  When Representative Giffords was shot we saw instantaneous accusations it was all because of Sarah Palin and the conservative movements.  In each case it was pure hate-filled emotional rampage by those who know nothing better.

Watching excerpts from television you routinely see people like Bill Maher, Lawrence O’Donnell, Bill O’Reilly or Rush Limbaugh calling important people idiots, fools, or worse.  You see them challenge the oppositions ideas, not on merit, but based on talking points developed by ideologues.  There is no balance in the discussion.  At least Jon Stewart has begun to realize there is humor on both sides of the debate.  We should ask why was Bob Hope so universally respected?  He would make light of the politicians but you always knew there was respect.  Certainly that does not appear to be the case today.

As young people grow up, and find their way into the public discourse they bring those qualities they have been taught.  We have taught them that undisciplined speech and personal attacks are okay.  We have taught them that if you disagree with someone the best option is not to see their point of view but to call them fools.  We have shown there are no penalties for hate speech, and that if you want to divert the discussion just call them racists.  Some of today’s graphic music encourages this bullying behavior.  I am sorry for us allowing that to happen.  While I have no desire to censor speech do we really have to report all of it?