A Plea for Civility

Can we please all stop with the name-calling?

Seriously, I don’t care if you’re liberal or conservative, we need to stop hurling around insulting names. It doesn’t do a bit of good, certainly doesn’t persuade anyone to your way of thinking, and it makes everyone who agrees with you look like an asshole.

I’m tired of hearing about Mooselini, the Chimpinator, McLame, Speaker Boner, Rummy, General Betray-us, Tweetie, Slick Willy, George Snuffleupagus, the O-Bomber, Wiener’s wiener, Rahmstein, Bachman-Poptart-Underdrive, Al Frankenstein, the Koch-heads, Dumb-o-craps, Repuglicants, MoDoDo, GingGrinch, and any other creative insults you can think of. Can’t we refer to people with their names and/or titles like civilized adults? “The President,” or “Senator So-and-so”, or “Mr. Clark”?

Now, I will concede a handful of exceptions. The Governator earned his nickname fair and square. So did “Heckuva Job” Brownie — the President himself gave him that nickname. To refer to Pat “Go F*** Yourself” Leahy is a compliment to his restraint. The Cyborg Dick Cheney, well, he is a cyborg.

The rest of it? Knock it off, already! It’s a distraction from real issues, like our eroding Constitutional rights, the developing American oligarchy, the endangered social safety net, the disappearing middle class, our crumbling infrastructure, the failed War on Drugs; our anemic economy, and the elimination of women‘s rights.

In Closing: Dam, dam, dam; Hollywood‘s out of ideas; the most sensible thing I’ve read about the Wal-Mart ruling; it’s a good start; and exercises at work.

5 thoughts on “A Plea for Civility”

  1. Your Robert Reich video… his premise of a strong middle class is the ability to BORROW?

    Borrowing makes the ‘other’ class richer. doesn’t it?

  2. Hey! Doesn’t anybody else read or comment on this rag? ennaway…

    As a carpenter/contortionist/power lifter/stairclimber I would find life somewhat easier with LESS exercise in a day….

    still, and even with all of the above, it is difficult to get AEROBIC conditioning out of a work day. I suspect that those little toe extension exercises and shoulder shrugs do little for the heart (and the boss probably wouldn’t appreciate you working up a real dripping lather over the computer or cash register…eh?)

  3. You are so on the mark with “It’s a distraction from real issues.” and that is a conscious strategy made “mainstream” by Faux News. (Sorry, but I couldn’t resist that bit of name play.) It is very fortuitous that we both have articles that are popular on BlogHer at the same time. Mine is “Halperin suspended…” This pairing drives home the point of crass partisan opinion being offered up as “news” or even sensible conversation as bogus and tiresome tactics with which the public is fed up to the eyeballs.

  4. I find it hypocritical of you to call it NAME CALLING while asking “others to knock it off already!”…When you do not posses the ability for restraint of tongue and pen!

    “Now, I will concede a handful of exceptions. The Governator earned his nickname fair and square. So did “Heckuva Job” Brownie — the President himself gave him that nickname. To refer to Pat “Go F*** Yourself” Leahy is a compliment to his restraint. The Cyborg Dick Cheney, well, he is a cyborg.”

    Is it only an exception when Y O U deem it appropriate!!! Who are you? You co-sign calling Dick Cheney a Cyborg and refer to Pat “Go F*** Yourself” Leahy yet you call for “others to knock it off already”….Not very convincing!!!

    Shame on you BlogHer for endorsing! Amy Arrowood

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