Still hoping for civility
Published 10:13 pm Monday, June 26, 2017
We’ve commented in the past on the declining level of civility, particularly when it comes to politics. Recent public comments and actions have regrettably shown there’s been no improvement. In fact, it’s gotten worse.
Two cringe-worthy examples have made news recently. First, Phil Montag, an official with the Nebraska Democratic Party, got the pink slip on Thursday after he was reported to have said he was “glad” that House Majority Whip Steve Scalise had been seriously wounded. Scalise was shot last week by James Hodgkinson at during practice for the upcoming congressional baseball game. The shooter was killed during a gun battle with police.
You will be glad to know that at last report, Scalise is out of a hospital’s intensive care unit. We wish him a full and healthy recovery.
That same day, actor Johnny Depp had publicly joked, “When was the last time an actor assassinated a president?” Some in his audience didn’t see the humor and let him know right away. Depp has since apologized for his self-described bad joke.
To borrow a word made popular by our country’s president: Sad.
Sad that somehow publicly wishing our leaders such a fate has become even remotely acceptable by some people. Let’s not forget “D-List” comedienne Kathy Griffin and her recent stunt of carrying a prop made to look like President Donald Trump’s severed and bloody head.
Ugh. We don’t think even the late Joan Rivers or Don Rickles would have tread so carelessly, and they rarely held back with their unique styles of humor.
But whether it’s liberals or conservatives, Democrats or Republicans, both sides would do well to find less malicious ways to vent their spleens. Then we would not have to witness them putting their feet in their mouths. And they would spare themselves the embarrassment of publicly apologizing.