| 1) “America has changed. There can be no discussions… no debates… no point-counter-point with regard to an even semi-controversial issue, without the verbal engagement quickly devolving into animosity-based rhetoric. It takes only seconds for an issue to move from mild disagreement to the usual progression of blind assertions, name-calling, and charges of ‘racism,’ ‘sexism,’ ‘wacko leftism,’ ‘Nazism,’ fascism,’ – and any other ‘-ism’ that diverts attention from the real issues and focuses animus toward personal attacks. Civil discourse is a thing of the past…” ~ Tony Leodora, GolfTalkLive host, editor, columnist(Click here for more)
2) “America’s growing intolerance constitutes the greatest threat to our national security. If things are to change, the answer is to stop talking and actually start walking the walk. That means not promoting conspiracy theories (such as John McCain being responsible for the USS Forrestal fire); it means not demonizing a president as a bigot because he condemns hatemongers on both sides of a protest; it means not calling those with whom we have divergent views ‘unpatriotic’ and treasonous;’ it means not having celebrities and athletes refer to a president in slanderous, vulgar terms—and be cheered for doing so.
“As Michael Douglas’s character said in The American President, ‘We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them'” ~ Chris Friend, columnist (Click here for more)
3) “We have become an increasingly rude, self-absorbed people with little empathy for anyone but ourselves and ‘our side.’ Common decency and good manners have become casualties in our all-about-me society. And social media is widely seen as the only way to be ‘relevant’—but to have a voice, one ‘must’ be in the other side’s face, all the time even when the truth doesn’t support one’s position…. If we don’t restore the principles that once united us—starting with seeking the truth wherever it leads—then true freedom will become elusive.” ~ Chris Friend, columnist (Click here for more.)
4) “To say we’re a ‘divided nation’ is selling it short. We’re a divided state, a divided town, a divided neighborhood. Somehow, we’ve forgotten we’re all Americans, all live in a free country, all entitled to our opinions, all able to affect change, all able to vote, all able to have our voices heard.
“But it’s like we live in two different countries, at least in our minds. How did this happen? Who knows? The constant barrage of ‘breaking news’ doesn’t help, the partisan bent (without admittance of such) by news outlets doesn’t help, the hard turns made by both the left and the right doesn’t help. Social media doesn’t help.” ~ Jeff Edelstein, columnist (Click here for more.)
5) “Social media makes it easy to lower the level of discourse. It’s easy to be nasty hiding behind screens and Twitter handles. It’s not easy when we are face-to-face. When we are, we more quickly recognize that behind each strongly-held idea are heartbeats, emotions, experiences… In other words, a real person.” ~ Betsy DeVos, U.S. Secretary of Education (Click here for more.)
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With my thanks for your continuing support, what say you about these uncivil times–or do you think it’s simply free speech at its freest and best? I wanna know. ~ Carol |
Fine article with fine quotes, Carol. I just finished reading a book that gives a framework to what you’ve described. It was written by a liberal and a democrat who also appear to be upset by what is happening. It’s entitled The Coddling of the American Mind.
It doesn’t matter what tribe we belong to. It has an important message for everyone.