Messages From My Friend

inspirational real life stories celebrating compassion, empathy, and personal triumph during adversity

  • Home
  • About
  • Family
  • Relationships
  • Joy & Loss
  • Cultural
  • Inspirational
  • True North
  • Other Sources

Civility, Where Art Thou?

September 1, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

Civility, Where Art Thou?

My friend is genuinely sad (and frightened for his children & grandchildren) about today’s lack of Civility in our Culture.

Wherever he looks or listens (TV, radio, social media, etc.,) at best, someone is screaming at someone else. At worst, someone is shooting at someone else. The reason for the rage is not some appropriate, self-defense reaction from bodily harm. Rage results because the “Offended” doesn’t agree with the “Offender’s” personal opposing opinion.

Not so long ago, philosophical, religious, or political disagreements were settled over a cup of coffee or beer, with the better merits of the argument determining the outcome of the debate differences. “Res Ipsa Locquitor” – The Facts Speak for Themselves”. Ideas were actually exchanged, pondered, and processed according to the validity of the relevant truth presented. (Senator Moynihan’s astute observation prevailed: “Everyone is entitled to their opinion. NO One is entitled to ignore the facts, or change the facts.”) Hence, the most reasonable argument won.

The Above YouTube Music Video Expresses the Hope of What Might be Again

Unfortunately, today, the facts are routinely ignored or distorted. Baseless statements are made to support an agenda or ideology. Beliefs are based on emotional conviction for desired outcomes, regardless of reality. “Truth” was once called the “Victim of War”. (Because propaganda prevailed on both sides of the combatants.) Propaganda is the spine of today’s cultural beliefs. “Truth” is a discarded fatality, by the depraved indifference of the propaganda machines.

The Genesis of this incivility can be traced to the changes in our nation’s magazine titles from: “Life” to “People” to “Us” to “Self”. Family photos were replaced by “Selfies”. Road rage morphed from “Honking Horn” to “The Finger” to a “Gun”. What once was an annoyance, is now an outrageous offense against some “Victim Status”. “Vitim Status” is the progeny of propaganda, “Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools”. Or, less poetically: Political Lies to curry favor with the less- informed, enchanted by the perfume of promises made (always broken), but blamed on some else. So, Rage is born.

Rage isn’t just aimed at the contrary idea. Rage is also aimed the person expressing the Idea. The offender must be destroyed along with the offensive idea. The counterattack of the idea does not require facts or reason, likewise, the personal destruction of the perpetrator of the opposing idea must be done at all costs, without regard to the Truth, common sense, or common decency. Actually, common decency is an Oxymoron. Decency is no longer common.

Common to our culture are Anger, Hatred, Rage, and Vengeance, which combined with Ignorance, Spite, and Victim-Hood, are the vile ingredients of a seething cauldron of vicious emotion poured onto an innocent, defenseless society.

“The only thing necessary for the Triumph of Evil, is that Good Men, do nothing.” – Edmund Burke.

Above YouTube Music Video Is What Could Be if Good Men & Women Do Something

Hopefully, there are enough Good Men & Women left to do something.

Or, God help us all.

(Visited 19 times, 1 visits today)

Filed Under: Cultural

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular posts

  • Kipling’s Poem “If” – with Biblical Similarities
  • Art: The Portrayal of God’s Creation, Forgiveness, & Reconciliation with Man
  • Science Debunks Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
  • About “Forgiveness”
  • Lessons Learned from the Movie “the Upside”
  • It Takes “Immense Patience” to Find “The True North Compass of Our hearts”
  • A Violin Table Side Serenade on Valentine’s Day
  • Hat Full of Peas Story
  • “I Found One Love”
  • The Breakthrough Effect
  • “The Kissmobile” – Literally, “La Dolce Vita”
  • A Bride’s Choice of Two Men on Her Wedding Day
  • The Meaning of Wishing: “Merry Christmas”
  • About Thriving Marriages & Lasting Relationships
  • Life’s Two Major Tasks

Recent Comments

  • Michael Kilian on The “Our Father”, with Poetic and Biblical References
  • Karen on The Buddhist Tonglen Prayer, with Christian Values
  • Karen on It Takes “Immense Patience” to Find “The True North Compass of Our hearts”
  • J. M. Bruso Jr. on Science Debunks Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
  • Ken on Thanksgiving – Then & Now
  • Michael Schmitz on A Violin Table Side Serenade on Valentine’s Day
  • Michael Schmitz on “I Found One Love”
  • Michael Schmitz on Evidence of the Presence of the Holy Spirit
  • Michael Schmitz on God Speaks to us in Different Ways – Not Just Through the Bible
  • Michael Schmitz on Life’s Two Major Tasks
  • Jeff Schimp on The Meaning of Wishing: “Merry Christmas”
  • Tom on “The Kissmobile” – Literally, “La Dolce Vita”
  • James LeBeau on Making a Difference
  • Jacqueline Jaske on The Breakthrough Effect
  • Ray S. on Civilization Hangs in the Balance

Categories

  • Cultural
  • Family
  • Inspirational
  • Joy & Loss
  • Relationships
  • True North
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • August 2022
  • March 2022
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • June 2021
  • April 2021
  • February 2021
  • September 2020
  • May 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • July 2018

Copyright © 2023 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in