The Buzz Bin

Guest Post by Mike Mulvihill, president of CRT/tanaka

Much ado has been made this week about America’s growing lack of civility.  Kanye dissing Taylor Swift; South Carolina Congressman Wilson calling our President a liar; Serena Williams dropping the f-bomb; Obama himself calling Kanye a jack-ass.  Is this something new?  Has incivility been escalated by social media because now we can – and should – say what is real whenever we feel like it?

The seeds of negativity have been sown for years.  Abortion, religion, politics – well before social media emerged from its primordial ether, we’ve been practicing a lack of tolerance on things we don’t all agree on.  But social isn’t helping the issue. 

 As Geoff Livingston said earlier this week, it is easier to grab a following around negative commentary than a positive post simply because we’re human.  I don’t disagree (in Shakespearean times that double negative was meant to show emphasis) that social media makes it easier to be uncivil, to sow negativity as we hide behind our keyboards. So like most things social, it exacerbates a situation for good as well as bad. 

 I’m not a conservative, but I like some of Thomas Sowell’s writings (see his columns link) – though perhaps less so as both of us have aged.  One column he penned a few years back asked, “What has happened to debate?”  You know, you have a point of view.  I listen to your POV.  I disagree, but perhaps I learn something by listening.  And vice versa. 

 I feel like we have de-evolved to the point where if I disagree with your point of view, it is incumbent upon me to tear you and your position down, to denigrate, annihilate and alienate – sometimes the more viciously the better.  And that’s a whole lot easier to do sitting behind my keyboard at the coffee shop than when I can hear or see my adversary.

 So what’s the point?  Let’s decide to re-evolve.  How about posting a point of view without a cheap shot?  Accepting that we may agree to disagree – and that’s OK.  Step away from the keyboard.  Step away from the abyss of the jackass.  Despite war, global warming and ACORN brothel loans, the world will be a better place.  If nothing else, you may actually feel better about yourself.  It’s a start.