In the midst of
widespread divisions in our present society that appear to threaten our ability
to consider a variety of issues as a cohesive community, there are efforts
underway locally and beyond to restore civility in our discussions, and to
reestablish the bonds of fellowship and community that are essential to mutual
respect and dialogue.
We appear to be at present a nation consumed by a spirit of violence, both in action and in speech. This is not new, but is acute, and we must learn ways to deal with it.
It is not the concern of any one race. The victims of the violence are
black and white, rich and poor, young and old, famous and unknown. They are,
most important of all, human beings whom other human beings loved and needed…
And yet it goes on and on.
….Some look for scapegoats, others look for conspiracies, but this much is clear; violence breeds violence, repression brings retaliation, and only a cleaning of our whole society can remove this sickness from our soul. For there is another kind of violence, slower but just as deadly, destructive as the shot or the bomb in the night. This is the violence of institutions; indifference and inaction and slow decay. This is the violence that afflicts the poor, that poisons relations between men because their skin has different colors. This is a slow destruction of a child by hunger, and schools without books and homes without heat in the winter….
When you teach a man to hate and fear his brother, when you teach that he is a lesser man because of his color or his beliefs or the policies he pursues, when you teach that those who differ from you threaten your freedom or your job or your family, then you also learn to confront others not as fellow citizens but as enemies - to be met not with cooperation but with conquest, to be subjugated and mastered.
We learn, at the last, to look at our brothers as aliens, men with whom we share a city, but not a community, men bound to us in common dwelling, but not in common effort. We learn to share only a common fear - only a common desire to retreat from each other - only a common impulse to meet disagreement with force….
Our lives on this planet are too short and the work to be done too great to let
this spirit flourish any longer in our land. Of course we cannot vanish it with
a program, nor with a resolution.
But we can perhaps remember - even if only for a time - that those who
live with us are our brothers, that they share with us the same short movement
of life, that they seek - as we do - nothing but the chance to live out their
lives in purpose and happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment they
can.
Surely this bond of common faith, this bond of common goal, can begin to teach us something. Surely we can learn, at least, to look at those around us as fellow men and surely we can begin to work a little harder to bind up the wounds among us and to become in our hearts brothers and countrymen once again.
One approach to lessening the problem of violence among us is that taken by Civility First, a grass-roots movement founded in Washington state to promote courteous public and private dialogue.
Established by a group of citizens from across the political spectrum who are concerned about the normalization of uncivil discourse, both online and in other shared spaces, the goals of Civility First are to create communities where all members treat each other with civility and respect. By doing so, schools, public meetings, and other forums will be safe places for honest discourse, adults will become better civic role models for children and youth, and the voices, values, and opinions of all the citizens and residents of our communities will be heard.
To accomplish this, we are asked to
- promote listening to and learning from people with perspectives
different from our own.
- agree to model civility and respect in our public lives,
including and especially when in conversation with those with whom we
disagree.
- commit to courteously challenge hurtful and disrespectful
behavior.
- ask other individuals, as well as civil and religious organizations
and politicians to pledge to do likewise.
I/We pledge to:
Value honesty and good will while striving to
solve problems.
Attempt genuinely to understand the point of view of others.
Model civil behavior and tone, online as well as in public, by:
- Being kind while maintaining the right to vigorously disagree.
- Acting
respectfully toward others, including opponents.
- Listening to
those who disagree with us, as well as supporters.
- Making only
accurate statements when defending a position.
- Refraining
from characterizing adversaries as evil.
- Challenge
disrespectful behavior, courteously.
- Encourage any
person or organization working on our behalf to meet these same standards
for civil discourse.
- Renew our
efforts, if we fail, and forgive others, if they fail.
In modeling and advocating for civil behavior, thoughtful preparation is important, and can be enhanced by participating in trainings such as the Bridging Our Differences workshops put on by Civility First in which tools are provided for opening and continuing important dialogues with those with whom we have disagreements or differing perspectives.
More information on Civility First can be
found at www.civilityfirst.org.
If you are interested in participating in a training or in taking part in a civility project in the Walla Walla area, please email clarkdn@charter.net, or call 509-522-0399.
