Civility

It is astounding how civility has faded from our society. It used to be that people tended to treat one another with a modicum of respect (even if they didn’t respect them). Name calling was petty and made the name-caller look uncouth. Crude, rude, and profane words were reserved for the “lower classes” of people or, perhaps, the locker room. But, it seems, those days are gone. Now profanity is used even in the most refined company. Name calling from talk show hosts is their stock in trade and they have made it acceptable in the general public. Parents no longer hold their hands over their children’s ears when bad language is bantered about – they would be doing it continually. They no longer ask the speaker to “watch your language, please – a child is present.” Kids have already become accustomed and impervious to it.

But I believe there is still hope. I pledge myself to be a candle in the midst of the darkness. I refuse to use those “bad” words, to give in to the common in our culture, to give up on kindness and goodness and manners. I will not forsake language that builds up rather than denigrates. I will not call others names even under my breath. I choose not to sleep in the gutters of common speech and participate in vulgarity.

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I am, however, only a candle. I’d like to pass my little flame on to you and ask  you to pass it on to others – by example, by never finding incivility of any kind acceptable, by walking away from those who insist on bringing all of us to a more base level.