The outburst recently during the President's national address by Joe Wilson (R) of South Carolina is but one more example of the direction our national discourse has taken. Dialog has disappeared and raucous monologues with no tolerance of opposing views have replaced it.
One doesn't have to agree with an opponent's philosophy or position, but it isn't necessary to use caustic and inflammatory remarks, especially in a public forum against the leader of the free world, to show your disagreement!
We've become a country of Jerry Springer clones and this recent outburst by this elected official illustrates how bad things have gotten. It isn't enough anymore to calmly, even vociferously, state our disagreements on matters of importance. We feel it necessary to use derogatory and hurtful words that will not only communicate our disagreement but attack and defame those with which we disagree.
From Rush Limbaugh to Bill O'Reilly, it has become common place in today's world to attack, attack, attack your opponents and leave them no room to respond. The tactic appears to be that in order to win the debate you must be angry, argumentative, personal and must not let your "opponent" get a word in edgewise.
It seems that these people feel that if they shake up the opposing side to the extent that they can't respond then they've won the argument. I'm sorry folks but your winning the argument will take more than that. All you do by using these tactics is show your inability to participate in a reasoned debate.
Personally, I'm sick of it. In a democracy you can only move forward through consensus. And the tactics being used by our political leaders, talk show hosts and others, are antithetical to the achievement of consensus and, thereby, progress. (And don't forget the recent town-hall meetings on health-care!)
If any of us sincerely want to see this country improve, we need to become more respectful of one another's views. You don't have to agree, but you DO have to stop the sniping, name calling, over-talking, shouting and dis-respecting.
It's only common courtesy. Didn't your mothers teach you better?
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