In the News

It's cliché now to suggest that our national politics need more civility. It's cliché because it's been true for a long while. The sun rises each morning, our politicians snipe and swipe and fight. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

So it's tempting to dismiss U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson's "commitment to civility" pledge as the quixotic pursuit of a well-intentioned, but naive country boy gone off to the big city for the first time.

Among our challenges, Johnson's civility pledge says, "has been an increasing division in and coarsening of our culture fueled too often by the vitriol in our politics and public discourse."

But, darn it, I wish him well. Agree or not with the Republican's policy views, the text of his civility pledge expresses values that ought to anchor public discourse in Washington, D.C., and state capitals.

And in our homes and churches and workplaces. Among friends. In chance encounters among strangers. On the road between raging motorists. Among grumpy passengers and airline employees. And on and on.

Because shouldn't civility start with us? Shouldn't we embrace it as the cornerstone of our interactions with others before we complain — again — about the culture of blame and shame in Washington and Baton Rouge?

Shouldn't we behave how we want our politicians to behave?

Johnson's remarks about his civility pledge Tuesday to a Shreveport audience prompted my thinking on this topic. My rethinking, really. Because I've returned to the topic repeatedly since 2008, the year of our first presidential election shaped — scarred? — by social media and hyper-partisan internet "news" sites.

Barack Obama and John McCain were mostly civil opponents that year. But they campaigned in a context made more toxic by the bad behavior of regular people unleashed by the anonymity of online commenting and juiced by partisan "news." 

McCain famously admonished a supporter who called Obama "an Arab" at a campaign rally, saying of his Democratic opponent: "He's a decent family man (and) citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues and that's what this campaign's all about. He's not (an Arab)."

I return to the topic now because I'm weary, just plain weary, of the incivility in my everyday life. And ashamed of my lapses in those moments when I contribute to the incivility.

How saddening to watch friends — friends who have shared in respectful community for many years — verbally attack and offend to the point of hurtfulness in a discussion of our unique and uniquely divisive president.

How disappointing to see one motorist, prompted by a "MAGA" bumper sticker, gesture crudely to another.

How troubling to find myself honking at a pokey driver. Or speaking curtly to a coworker.

How dispiriting to read about the vandalism of public monuments.

How scary now to comprehend that some of us no longer want to understand what motivates people who are different: rural vs. urban, red vs. blue, white vs. black or brown, southerner vs. northerner.

Activism in support of a cause, or against a contemporary evil, is a righteous pursuit. Incivility only tarnishes the effort. It also probably reduces the impact. For references, see Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr.

Platitudes? Of course. Cliché? Yes.

But no less true.

Johnson, who represents Louisiana's 4th District, including Bossier and Caddo parishes, introduced the pledge to fellow freshman lawmakers as they were taking office in January. He now says all 50 freshmen have signed on and that 70 additional, more senior congressional lawmakers have signed the pledge. His goal is to get half of all members of Congress on board by the end of September.

From his civility pledge: "We are dedicated to showing proper respect to one another and all others, encouraging productive dialogue, and modeling civility in our public and private actions."

So, yeah, sign me up. And give me the strength to live by the pledge. To be a model of civility.