A lack of civility

Friday, June 25, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

Is America becoming uncivilized? People seem to think so. According to a poll released Tuesday, 65 percent of Americans say the lack of civility is a major problem in the country.

The poll, commissioned by public relations firm Weber Shandwick and its subsidiary Powell Tate, said Americans found incivility just about anywhere they looked. More than half of those surveyed said incivility was prevalent in politics, traffic, talk radio, high schools, pro sports, television, blogs, and with the public and celebrities.

Jack Leslie, chairman of Weber Shandwick, said the poll showed people “are fed up with the polarization of our political system and the uncivil tone of our country as a whole.”

The magnitude of complaints may have reached a new high, but complaints about incivility in public life are nothing new. In the recent past, we’ve heard people complain, yet civility seems to be in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes, we have found, the worst offenders are those complaining about someone else being rude. It’s no wonder talk radio and blogs have blossomed. Too many people are talking at each other, not to each other.

Pam Jenkins, president of Powell Tate, was asked by Politico.com columnist Roger Simon to define incivility, and she summed it up well: “Rudeness and a lack of respect for those who have different points of view and who don’t share the same view of the world.”

There is no doubt that there is too much rudeness in the country, and the negative tenor in public life has left people resigned. Nearly half those surveyed said they were tuning out politics and government — and most of them said they were doing so because of the negative tenor.

That’s alarming because people tuning out is dangerous for society. Our country needs interested and active citizens. Although we don’t agree with their decision, we can understand why people are upset. Politics in Washington have become caustic, and even those who have tried to set a more polite tone have come under attack.

As we have noted before, President Barack Obama tried to work with Republicans. He graciously extended them opportunities to work together after taking office last year, and he was consistently rebuked. In turn, Republicans have tried to demonize him.

Jenkins said she has watched the sense of public decorum in Washington slide over the years. “I have three kids, and when I was a kid, it was unimaginable that a member of Congress would call the president a liar,” Jenkins said, referring to South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson’s infamous outburst last year. Wilson’s shout, on the floor of the House as Obama spoke to lawmakers, was a recent example of the problem in politics.

Although people overwhelmingly said the public is most responsible for improving civility in the country, they also put significant responsibility on political leaders, according to the survey. Political leaders should understand that this could be a campaign issue: 8 in 10 Americans say people shouldn’t vote for a candidate who is uncivil.

There have been many complaints over the years about negative campaigning, which is understandable. There’s no place for lies, mudslinging and the shrill personal attacks that have no bearing on a candidate’s suitability for office. However, people too often think aggressive campaigning is inherently negative. But it’s not wrong to point out a candidate’s hypocrisy on the issues or a failure to be forthcoming. Voters should know what candidates stand for, and there should be a vigorous debate of the issues so there is a clear distinction between candidates. And that can be done civilly.

People are fed up with the vicious rhetoric that has degraded civil discourse. It is beyond time to put aside all of the nastiness in politics, which has been heightened by the continuous news cycle. Political leaders should set a more positive tone for the country.