Tea parties, town hall craziness, and the loss of civility

Politics is often a dirty game, but recent events have revved up the ugliness to new levels, making many people question what has gotten into people.

First we had the tea party protestors, whose actions were amusing, but generally ignored by most people. Then we were introduced to the Birthers, people who insist President Obama is ineligibile to hold office due to Kenyan citizenship, even though those charges were refuted nearly a year ago. And now there are the disruptions of town hall meetings on health care reform by people intent on preventing any discussion of proposed solutions. Even though it’s been revealed that many of these “protestors” are in fact paid agitators from the health care industry and right-wing politicians, they have succeeded in throwing the discussion off track.

Why does this seem to be happening all of a sudden?

Going back to the 1990s, people have bemoaned the decline of civility in society. At the time these critics were dismissed as simply being conservative and unwilling to move with the times, but it appears people like C. Delores Tucker, Calvin Butts, and William Bennett may have been onto something.

Robert Putnam’s book Bowling Alone : The Collapse and Revival of American Community, published in 2000, detailed the lack of community among Americans, as evidenced by less involvement with civic organizations, fewer visits with friends, and lack of contact with neighbors. He traced the roots of this as increased work hours, television, suburban sprawl, and cultural shift towards individualism, all of which meant that people trust each other less and are more likely to compete than cooperate.

A quick glance of contemporary American culture reveals the many ways in which fear and the impulse to view life through a “Them Vs Us” mentality reverberate through society. The media landscape is filled with individuals who peddle disrespect, including Glenn Beck, Lou Dobbs, Bill O’Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, and Michelle Malkin. Reality television, films like Hustle And Flow and Bruno, and rap songs that treat people as objects to be exploited, conquered (sexually and otherwise) or killed are some of the hottest things in pop culture. “Christian” preachers like Fred Phelps, Ken Hutcherson, and Harry Jackson spend their time railing against gays, immigrants, and abortion doctors. On internet message boards, the vitriol can be even greater, due to the ability to remain anonymous.

Perhaps you’ve observed how people treat cashiers, waiters, or customer service reps. For some people, the chance to humiliate those seen as subservient is the highlight of their day. Interactions between law enforcement and citizens are increasingly contentious, as in the arrest of Henry Louis Gates, where both parties seemed bent on “showing out” instead of using common sense. We’ve seen the scandals of World Com, Enron, Fannie Mae, and Bernie Madoff, where greed overrode any sense of responsibility, resulting in millions of people having their financial security ruined.

On an international level, consider how many people supported Abu Ghirab and Guantanomo Bay, even after abuses were common knowledge. Recent surveys indicate nearly half of people, including religious folks feel torture is justified.

Taken together, all these facts have caused people to ask if the United States is on the verge of fascism.

What do you think about the state of civility in America? Are people getting out of hand, or is it just small group of people having a disproprtionate impact?