I listened to some excerpts of the CNN interview with President George W. Bush and Governor Jeb Bush. Candy Crowley was reading sections of various letters President George H. Bush wrote to his sons. It was written in the 1970's timeline and he talked about the lack of civility in politics.
It struck me that times have not changed much and maybe have gotten a little louder and meaner. Jeb Bush said the one thing that bothered him was the personal attacks in the discourse of opinion.
Listen to talk radio, read political blogs or comments on newspaper articles, watch TV commentators and you see all of them personally attacking someone. It's OK to opine about policy and actions of others, but when the criticism becomes personal or discriminatory without basis or facts, it becomes mean, if not downright slanderous at times.
It’s too easy to spew personal hatred, intolerance and discrimination when writers are anonymous and don’t have the courage to identify themselves. Anonymity is one thing but when it is used to personally attack someone, say discriminatory things or spew untruths, it goes too far.
Is it too much to ask that people act like civilized human beings? Bullies never sign their name.
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