Doing Better, Together: Common Decency & Informed Citizenship
Common decency and informed citizenship should be two enduring values that are modeled and passed down by parents to their children. It should be characteristically American to treat and speak of others as you would want to be treated and to yearn for a basic working knowledge of this country to better understand how we got here and how our system of government works. However, the current climate in the United States shows an increasing number of us who find a platform to ridicule, spew hate and divisiveness. At a time when social media continues to be a haven for keyboard warriors to spread vitriol, half-truths and unverified information, the danger is becoming that what the world considers characteristically American involves neither the Golden Rule nor the expanding of our minds.
As a case in point, with the recent death of California Senator Dianne Feinstein, the keyboard warriors have been out in full force. Feinstein had a noteworthy and storied career as the longest serving woman in the U.S. Senate. In the last few years her steady physical and mental decline, unfortunately, had been on full display. Not unusual for someone in their upper eighties, the senator spent several months recuperating at home from extended illness. Her return to the upper chamber was met with widespread calls for her to resign. The oft-debated issue of term limits was revived and her death this week sparked a flood of tributes and criticisms across social media platforms. A local news station posted about her death and although many comments were based in condolences and appreciation, a number were insensitive and not based in fact. “Hopefully the first of many,” opined one user, while another posted, “One down 50 more to go.”
Two concerns immediately pop up in my mind. First, such a lack of empathy when anyone loses a family member, is staggering to me. You may not have agreed with Feinstein’s views; you may have opposed her politics or disagreed with the system that allows Congress members to serve nearly to the point of incapacity. However, Feinstein has children, grandchildren, friends, and coworkers who are freshly mourning her loss. Before her funeral has even been held, the amount of hatred directed her way is staggering. Some might say this is a conservative issue, since Feinstein was a Democrat. However, if any aging, prominent Republican such as octogenarian Senator Chuck Grassley, Rudy Giuliani or even Donald Trump died, I have no doubt that the amount of hateful and disrespectful rhetoric towards them would be just as prevalent from some on the other side. This lack of decorum isn’t a partisan problem. It is an American problem. And if we don’t deal with it and start talking about how to get back to a more civilized society, I fear for the future of our nation.
The second concern comes when people criticize the government without having a working knowledge of how the government functions, is structured or what ways government is running on a daily basis. The commenter who noted that there were fifty other senators “to go,” did not realize that there are actually 100 U.S. Senators, two for each state. This is one example, but as a Civics teacher, I often wonder how many that loudly shout against the government and call for change could actually pass a basic test on U.S. Government or even could describe what our government is doing on a weekly basis. Could someone railing against the Congress with such fervor be able to, for example, describe any bill that their U.S. representative has introduced lately? Can someone yelling on social media, calling for a complete overhaul of the Supreme Court, talk about any case the Court has dealt with in the last couple of years that hasn’t had to do with abortion? For those who criticize the president, no matter who is in the White House, can they say they have a solid understanding of the Constitutional responsibilities of the office or what roles the president must fill while carrying out their duties? All of this is underscored by a significant decline in knowledge of basic civics on the part of our young people. Nationwide test scores have shown a concerning downward trend for nearly a decade, and last year gathered data showed that 40% of students were below proficiency in civics knowledge. If we want to sustain our country, it is not just the teachers who have to shoulder the responsibility. Parents will also have to help encourage a curiosity for knowledge about our country and it is essential that they model responsible civic behavior and common decency.
It is healthy to call for reform and change in a political system when warranted, but it should be grounded in fact and an understanding of how the current system works. As David McCullough once said, “As history abundantly shows, Congress for all its faults, has not been the unbroken parade of clowns and thieves and posturing windbags so often portrayed…We need to know more about Congress because we need to know more about leadership. And about human nature…Above all we need to know more about Congress because we are Americans. We believe in governing ourselves.”[1] If the level of discourse can’t rise above where it is currently at, and if the level of interest and basic knowledge of our country doesn’t increase, I worry for the future of our country. We would be wise, also, to keep in mind the words of former Senator Ben Sasse, who reminded us in a speech after the events of January 6th, 2021 that we can’t achieve great things without recognizing common threads that bind us together. “You can’t do big things…if you hate your neighbors. You can’t do big things together as Americans if you think other Americans are the enemy.”[2] Our current political climate often promotes the “us versus them” mentality, but a big part of what will ensure that America is sustained well into the future is a reconsideration of what it means to be civil towards all fellow Americans and a commitment to quality teaching and learning of basic civics. If we want to discuss the merits of term limits and government reform, by all means let’s have a dialogue, but without degrading others or failing to be informed about our country. Let’s all focus on doing better, together, for the sake of our future. America depends on it.
[1] David McCullough, “The American Spirit,” (New York, Simon & Schuster, 2017), 10-11.
[2] Ben Sasse, “Address from Senate floor,” January 6, 2021.
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