Civility, Decorum, and The Lack Thereof

It continues to dampen my spirit. With only a little help from the sensationalistic media, I have observed man's distinct lack of rationality. This character flaw is glaring when we encounter those who disagree with us. Fueled by our emotions, we speak out, act out, and even lash out with no regard for reason. Town hall meetings, a Presidential address, and now even silly award shows have become forums for those who opt for vile cynicism over constructive criticism. Here are a few examples:

This one is from a town hall meeting in Virginia where a protester is told by a police officer that he will be charged with "whatever I want" if he continues to exercise his 1st Amendment rights.

Of course, I cannot overlook the treatment of Mr. Kostric by Chris Matthews here. Again, it does not matter if you agree with Mr. Kostric, which I do in principle, but not in the application.

Next up, Congressman Joe Wilson during the President's address last Wednesday. He blatantly attacks the character of the President and shows a complete lack of decorum for the rules of order. I have an issue with people who are now donating money to this guy simply because he lacks civility. If you were such a staunch Wilson supporter, why wait until now to donate?

Finally, a great role model for our young people, Kanye West at the MTV VMA show. Expressing himself while trampling the moment for Taylor Swift. I don't really care if he thought that Beyonce's video was better. I am thankful that some poeple in our society still have class and respect for their fellow human beings. Beyonce upon receiving her award later in the show, "yields her time" to Taylor.

Beyonce's actions have made me a bit reflective this morning. I have always been one to attempt to use what I thought was humor to lighten situations and put others at ease. Now I am thinking that this may be thinly disguised cynicism. Actually, I have little doubt about this, except for the "thinly disguised" part. A true man in the mirror moment. This is going to be a real battle for me, as I am sure it is for those I have mentioned above.

I am not advocating a "cry for the trees", hand-holding, sing-a-long here. I am just saying that perhaps we should rely more on our reason than on our emotions. Emotions are part of what we are as human beings. Without them, we would have no passion. However, it seems that any more, it has become too easy for us to fall back on this as an excuse to be rude and obnoxious.

“It is not because the truth is too difficult to see that we make mistakes... we make mistakes because the easiest and most comfortable course for us is to seek insight where it accords with our emotions - especially selfish ones." --Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Guilty as charged.

AA