The Line of Civility
There used to be a line that one simply did not cross. For example, it used to be improper to talk back to parents or other elders, but positive portrayals of precocious children on TV sitcoms long ago erased that.
You did not take what did not belong to you…the concept of “I need it more than they do” or “I deserve it” never entered the conversation.
You respected other’s property…right down to not mowing over the property line, or making sure you were not burning yard waste when the neighbor had clothes hanging on the line.
And you respected authority, whether they were school officials or officers in uniform. You were told to do something by one of those persons, you did it…and figured out any issues later.
I can’t even recite any of that without sounding like an old-timer who longs for a simpler time.
You also kept families out of disputes with public figures. But based on the lack of respect for authority, property, and decorum generally the last few years…it was hardly a surprise that groups of people gathered outside the private residences of Supreme Court justices over the weekend to show their displeasure for a possible repeal of Roe v. Wade–even including the home of Chief Justice John Roberts, and he voted to keep Roe. That’s right, he was on their side…yet his family had to hunker down behind closed doors because of a mob outside their house.
You want to protest outside a public building, outside a workplace…fine. Any of the rest of this…well, not only does it not change the policy you want to affect, but it hurts your position even more in the eye of the public.
Firebombing a church on Sunday morning, as happened yesterday in Wisconsin? Blocking entrance to New York churches, as also happened yesterday? Those are crimes and need to be aggressively prosecuted as such. But hard to imagine there will be any repercussions, given the sad state of affairs today.
I don’t condone disrespect or destruction of property by any side in a political or personal debate. It’s especially disconcerting that not only has it come to this…there’s no end in sight.
