(This was the topic I chose for my persuasive essay for my college course.)
Protocol
can be very formal in court proceedings. When the judge enters the courtroom,
everyone stands, even the court reporter. All of the participants speak
deferentially to the judge, being very careful to say “yes, Your Honor,” or
“no, Your Honor.” Civility reigns supreme in most court proceedings. If things
get out of hand, the judge quickly takes control and has security personnel who
immediately respond to threatening situations. Court personnel treat even the defendants
in criminal matters with respect. While it may just be another workday for the
employee, it is probably one of the worst days of the defendant’s life. If only there was such respect and civility
in everyday life. In the “real” world today, even authority is disrespected –
and sometimes even authority is disrespectful, which raises several
questions: What kind of legacy does this
behavior leave for the children? How will they truly learn that bullying is not
acceptable? When did humans discard the practice of showing common decency to
one another? Is this the type of society that produces good people? Have people
distanced themselves so much from personal interaction through the use of
social media that being unkind and disrespectful doesn’t bother them as much? Civility
in interactions must be restored, or things will continue to spiral downward. Imagine
a world where civility was still king.
Looking
back in history, there is evidence that people were usually respectful, if not
kind, to one another. “Yes, sir,” was common to hear. Neighbors usually looked
out for one another and cared. People respected the President of the United
States, regardless of his politics, and disagreements were shared almost
politely. This is a dreaded presidential election year, with ever-increasing
bitter exchanges between and about the candidates. Politicians have become so
used to smear tactics that they believe there is no other way to run a
campaign. Rather than making a good argument for incivility, however, the mere
fact that these are accepted ways of campaigning highlights the actual problem.
Former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Yvette McGee Brown states, “Our children are
watching, and I think when we as parents or grandparents or just people who
care about children, when you think about what they're seeing and the message
that they're getting, we should all be a little embarrassed.”¹ If children are
raised seeing that any kind of blistering rhetoric is acceptable, no matter how
much it hurts the recipient, is it any wonder that bullying is so rampant in
schools?
Life
is hard for every person. There is a video circulating in social media about a
man who is given special glasses. When he wears the glasses, he can see labels
on people that show him their current struggles. He suddenly understands he is
not alone in his struggles. Everyone he sees is bearing heavy burdens, much
like his own, with everyone mostly suffering in silence. Joe King, a columnist
for the Alameda Journal, writes, “Finally, let’s be kind; many folks out there
are fighting a tough battle.”² In the courtroom setting, a defendant’s crimes
are laid bare, but he still holds his emotions inside because he feels shame. In
a recent court hearing, a defendant stated on the record: “I'm nervous as well
as embarrassed of the things that I've done, and I feel very horrible, so I'm
just trying to come to terms on that with myself. And I feel very, very bad.”³
There is simply no reason to add to the defendant’s burden by being rude.
If
a time traveler suddenly came to the year 2016 from 1935, would the traveler
feel horror at seeing how society has devolved? Would it be possible to
reconcile the behavior of the current presidential candidates with the
traveler’s memory of how they would behave in 1935? He might ask, is this a
parallel universe or just a horrible dream? Elwood D. Watson writes, “The fact
is that all of us are human and will manage to make mistakes in our lives along
the way. Imperfections aside, it is important that all of us, especially adults
. . . make an effort to do our part to contribute to the making of a society
that is as civil as possible. After all, the children and the young people in general
are watching us.”4 Perhaps, too, there are time travelers watching.
Bear in mind, though, that 1935 was a time where sexism and racism were rampant
in society, so perhaps the time traveler would be more bemused by the things
today which are done with more
kindness and respect.
The
explosion of the internet and social media has both enhanced and damaged
interpersonal communication. It is possible to meet and become great friends
without ever seeing one another in person. On the other hand, this sort of
more-than-arms-length interaction lends a certain anonymity that can cause
people to ignore civility. Many find it easy to write blistering comments as if
those on the other side of the screen were not real persons. As society becomes
more technologically advanced, it loses something precious. It is important to
find a way to communicate with this amazing technology while not losing the
bits of refinement that set us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom.
Communicating is good, whether it be slow or fast, near or far, or with friends
or strangers; however, everyone loses when kindness and civility do not have a
place in this communication.
It
is worrisome to see society continue to remove itself from the civility of the
past. History has shown that once something is lost, it is rarely possible to
bring it back. For civilization to
succeed, civility needs to be
restored. It is easy to make things worse through thoughtless behavior, but it
is also easy to be kind, a habit which seems to be lost. How can society
eradicate bullying and a number of social ills? Turn off the television rather
than watch another hateful political ad. Thank a child’s teacher for working so
hard with students. Hold the door for someone whose hands are full. Smile at
someone who appears weary. Offer a kind word. If society is to be rescued, it
is up to everyone to take on this challenge and make it so.
¹Former Ohio
Supreme Court Justice Yvette McGee Brown – Town Meeting on Civility in Politics
at the Ohio Statehouse – March 18, 2016
²Joe King,
columnist, Alameda Journal – Alameda, California – March 16, 2016
³Defendant in
District Court – Twin Falls County, Idaho – June 24, 2016
4Elwood
D. Watson – “As a Society, We Need to Remind Ourselves of the Importance of
Civility” – Huffpost Impact “The Blog” – October 29, 2014
