In the past two weeks, civility has become a buzzword on both sides of the aisle after Maxine Waters called for Americans to approach Trump officials in public places to protest new and existing administration policies. While I do not see bothering someone while they eat their dinner like Secretary of Homeland Security Nielsen or White Press Secretary Sanders as a useful way to spend one's time, social media has erupted with other protest videos and messages calling for the censure of Maxine Waters. By the way, censuring Maxine Waters would serve no purpose than other to let the right punish another African American woman for speaking out against discriminatory practices.
It is my opinion that time would be better spent registering new voters, helping inform the electorate and help quell the fears and divisiveness in the United States instead of creating more material for Fox News and CNN to use that ultimately makes the divide in this country deeper. Like the headline says, civility in American politics went out the window a long time ago.
Whether it was Watergate, the Bush-Gore recount, or the Monica Lewinsky scandal, American politics has rarely held a civil tone. After the 2008 and 2012 elections, conservative protesters marched holding signs and dummies depicting the lynching of President Obama, so Representative Waters' call to interrupt someone's dinner ranks very, very low on the list of horrible things done in American politics.
The 2016 election as a whole was not gracious in any way, especially on the Trump side. During one of the presidential debates, then-candidate Trump promised to jail Hillary Clinton and during many of his rallies, Trump would call for his supporters to beat up protesters. At a North Carolina rally, Trump even offered to cover legal fees of his supporters that attacked protesters which led to 78-year-old John McGraw to punch someone in the face that was being escorted out of the rally.
Also, it's not just candidates that can get out of hand. Groups like Antifa or the white supremacists and Nazis that showed up to the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, VA that resulted in the death of counter-protestor Heather Heyer both represent the incivility of Democrats and Republicans. The Westboro Baptist Church has interrupted funerals of gay soldiers, victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting and even the kindergartners that died in the Newtown shooting to promote their conservative agenda.
This tolerated incivility can have serious consequences such as the death of Heather Heyer or years ago when protesters in Ferguson, Missouri burnt down buildings in protest of the jury decision in the Michael Brown's death.
Regardless of the antics of either political party, any dishonest action should not be encouraged, but no one should be surprised. However, as a country, we should be moving back towards the middle instead of the recent trend towards giving the fringe left and right a platform for them to distract Americans and pit neighbors against each other. I think we can do better and should do better, but a lot of damage has done, but as Americans have proved time and time again, we can do anything.
