A little civility

Sen. William Cohen last week wasn’t the first to call for greater civility in public discourse, but his timing could not have been better. With the president and leaders of Congress about to begin budget negotiations, civility among politicians and the people who watch and comment on them will be sorely needed.

The media and politicians too often throttle civility and manners. Nasty sound bites in political campaigns become truths on talk shows, encouraging angry viewers and listeners, whose rhetoric in turn affects the behavior of political leaders. The recent tussle between Rep. Jim Moran of West Virginia and Rep. Randy Cunningham of California over Medicare cuts was an uncommon example of this cycle. More common are the countless stunts to demonize the opposition when what often all that separates the sides on, for instance, a particular budget issue is amount and timing. Consider the comments by Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich last week, who said he was ready to negotiate the budget with President Clinton, but would refuse to compromise on any of the details of the congressional budget package.

The media encourage this slide into name-calling by highlighting the most outrageous comments of politicians or inventing some of their own. Though it sounds as if commentators are getting to the heart of the matter through crude speech, they actually are creating huge obstacles. Civility, expressed through nothing more than good manners, is what Emerson said could “aid our dealing and conversation, as a railway aids traveling, by getting rid of all avoidable obstructions of the road.” These days, the obstructions are mountainous.

By creating enemies where there is only disagreement over policy, the media and political organizations prevent any useful action. People do not willingly listen to their enemies. The current climate demands that ideas either be defended as holy scripture or attacked as the work of the devil. Those caught trying to find reasonable compromise between competing ideas are branded weak or traitorous.

The fact that history contains dozens of examples of U.S. political leaders in more violent confrontation than what the public has been forced to witness recently does not change the need for increased civility now. At no time have more people had access to more information (or misinformation) about the nation’s fortunes, or more instantaneous ways of responding.

Increased access demands increased responsibility from all sides. In the end, the product of the work in Congress would be much improved for it.