The death of civility

I've made the mistake of clicking on, and reading, some of the responses to certain political articles on the internet.  Oh...my....goodness!  Have we really sunk to such a depth?  Where is the sense of basic decency and respect?  Is it our new normal?  Is it real?  Or is it just the anonymity of the internet that allows people to sink to their deep, dark depths, and spew hate?  Do the proverbial gloves come off when there is not consequence for what we say because no one really knows who we are on the internet, and what does that do to us in the long run?

I did not vote for Mr. Bush, but I never, in my wildest dreams, would have posted the hate filled things I've read about our current, sitting, President.  I can disagree with your political views, your moral, your religious, etc., without wishing your death or in any way other pain or suffering.  I see so much hate being poured onto a man, a simple man, who dared to run and win the office of President in a time of severe crisis.  Honestly I am not at all sure our economy would be any better off if McCain had won.  We, the American People, are responsible in large part for our current economic crisis.  Yes the banks have their own responsibility but they did not force us to apply for home equity lines to finance vacations, upgrades or shopping habits.  They did not force us to apply for loans on homes we really couldn't afford.  They did not force us to spend MORE than we made.   We did that.  There is personal responsibility in our current, painful, situation.  There is also personal responsibility in our solution to our current, painful, situation.  It will take time however, something people are not willing to give.  And it will take setting aside the anger and fear.

One of the articles that floored me though was one about the capture of a high up dude from a Mexican drug cartel who, ironically, was a US born citizen.  I was stunned by how many anonymous people, men and women I'm sure, campaigned for the death penalty for dealers and users.  Kill em! Hang em! Cut off their balls!  Make an example out of them!  And then there were the blame Obama posts.  Really?  Blaming the President for Mexico's drug cartel?  There was another article about Meghan McCain's book that was apparently critical of the darling of the conservative Sarah Palin.  Again, the anonymous posters, tore that girl to shreds, she's an attention seeking idiot, she's useless, etc.  Plus, they tore her father, an American HERO, to shreds.  Called him an old geezer that should be in a retirement home.  The man was a POW, and survived.  He deserves respect, I'm a card carrying Democrat and I know that.  I don't agree with all his views, but he deserves my respect.  He's a human being. 

A human being.  What does that mean to you?  How do we show our humanity?  I believe we show it through kindness.  Through patience.  Through civility.  What if civility is dead?  What does that mean for humanity?  The Golden Rule, treat others as you would have them treat you.  Where does that factor in on these anonymous, hateful, internet posts?  Where is civility?  Where is respect?  Where is decency? 

I'm not a religious woman, in the traditional sense, but I am what I consider to be Spiritual.  I believe there is a higher power that watches over us, that sees how we deal with conflict, how we deal with people who differ from us, are we able to treat them as equal human beings or do we belittle, blame, or worse yet, kill them?  That Spirit, however you call it, is watching.  That Spirit wants us to treat each other with kindness.  With respect.  With civility.  That Spirit would not approve of anonymous internet posters wishing death upon the President, Republicans, Democrats or even drug dealers.  That Spirit wants us to learn.  That Spirit wants us to become better.  More patient.  More loving.  Kinder.  Gentler.  More accepting.  I believe that Spirit wants our soul to evolve as we go through life and subsequent reincarnations.  To open our hearts and minds.  To reach out to one another.  To help, to love, to be present in each others lives.  I believe we are here on Earth to learn how to love each other.  I do not see a lot of love right now, and that, frankly, scares me.