{"id":7256,"date":"2017-03-26T08:38:04","date_gmt":"2017-03-26T12:38:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=7256"},"modified":"2017-03-26T08:38:04","modified_gmt":"2017-03-26T12:38:04","slug":"when-incivility-wins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=7256","title":{"rendered":"when incivility wins"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Every now and then I read an editorial I wish I would have written; however, I\u2019m so thankful it\u2019s more than me that shares such an opinion. What\u2019s also true is that I learn from opinion other than my own.<\/p>\n

From Lori Borgman\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026 an author, columnist, speaker\u2026<\/p>\n

Also \u2014 dare I say \u2014 a person who speaks the truth. In a recent column, here, no less, is the truth she shares:<\/p>\n

An \u201cOld West and New West\u201d cartoon shows the \u201cOld West\u201d side with a cowboy holding his hands above his holster, ready to draw. It\u2019s labeled Gunslinger.<\/em><\/p>\n

The \u201cNew West\u201d side shows a man in jeans, T-shirt, and a bandana with globs of mud in both hands and more globs of mud at his feet. It\u2019s labeled Mudslinger.<\/em><\/p>\n

It would be even funnier if it weren\u2019t so true.<\/em><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve taken mudslinging to new heights. Make that new lows.<\/em><\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t like someone\u2019s stand on an issue these days, start calling them names. Fascist is a popular choice, as are racist and bigot. Liar, moron, and homophobe are in the top 10 as well. If none of those do the trick, pull out the big guns \u2013 call somebody a Nazi.<\/em><\/p>\n

The smear has become standard operating procedure. Don\u2019t attack the argument; attack the person espousing the argument.<\/em><\/p>\n

And we\u2019re the grown-ups. Well, in name at least.<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s like the entire nation needs a time-out to contemplate incivility.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ronald Reagan and Tip O\u2019Neill went to the mat in vehement disagreement over policy. They often made witty but disparaging comments about one another (name-calling light). Yet at the close of many work days they sat down for drinks together in the White House.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today, opposing factions would be more tempted to throw drinks on one another. Our incivility is all-encompassing \u2014 from Wal-Mart brawls to both sides of the political spectrum.<\/em><\/p>\n

The internet and social media have become cesspools of incivility. The pseudo-anonymity of posting online serves as a cover for knee-jerk, brash and reckless. Post now, regret later. Or never. People say things online that they would never say to someone face-to-face. (Hopefully.)<\/em>
\nOnline media outlets are forced to close the comments section on articles due to incivility of readers\u2019 remarks. Someone posts a comment relative to the article. A second poster questions the IQ of the first poster, a third poster slams the second poster for slamming the first poster and it\u2019s a slugfest.<\/em><\/p>\n

On Twitter, you can barroom brawl in 144 characters or less.<\/em><\/p>\n

Incivility shuts guest speakers out of venues on college campuses, places that were once bastions of the free exchange of ideas. Odd, isn\u2019t it? We punish bullying in some quarters but give it free rein in others.<\/em><\/p>\n

Incivility is why some are contemplating discontinuing Town Halls. You can\u2019t have a public forum when nobody can hear what anybody else is saying over the din of rabble rousers. Those who can crank up the volume the most seem to be winning.<\/em><\/p>\n

Or are they? When incivility wins, everybody loses. When incivility becomes standard fare, civil people pull back. They want no part. Mudslinging, hurling insults and vitriol are degrading and embarrassing to all.<\/em><\/p>\n

We don\u2019t have to agree with one another. We don\u2019t even have to like one another. But in the name of survival, we do have to be respectful of one another.<\/em><\/p>\n

[Amen, sister\u2026 amen\u2026]<\/p>\n

Respectfully\u2026
\nAR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every now and then I read an editorial I wish I would have written; however, I\u2019m so thankful it\u2019s more than me that shares such an opinion. What\u2019s also true is that I learn from opinion other than my own. From Lori Borgman\u2026 \u2026 an author, columnist, speaker\u2026 Also \u2014 dare I say \u2014 a … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “when incivility wins”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-issue","category-daily-life"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7256"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7256\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7259,"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7256\/revisions\/7259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}