How Others See It

Years ago, I remember watching shouting matches in the British Parliament and legislators in other nations actually mixing-it-up physically.

I was grateful our politicians “did the people’s business” during those days with strength, force and persuasion and, for the most part, with respect and dignity.

Now, I am ashamed.

I’m ashamed when a congressman from N.Y. spews out venom with unmitigated vitriol in the House of Representatives; when vice presidents — past and present — use the “F” word in a public forum; and when a church group with hate-filled banners protests at funerals of brave young men and women who died to preserve our freedom of expression.

In my lifetime, I’ve seen several presidents and scores of legislators come and go; yet never have I witnessed such wholesale disregard for public civility and the law of sowing and reaping.

It would be na Øve to suggest our society ever will be free from verbal toxins, but it is equally na Øve to assume our nation can escape forever their negative impact.

A recent film showed a grungy old man teaching a teenage boy to “man-up.” After being introduced to the local barber, the boy was told to leave the shop and re-enter greeting the barber with language that gave new definition to masculinity. He repeated the exercise and spewed out a string of arrogant expletives that earned him the praise of his deluded teachers. Now he was “manned-up.”

What a sorry standard for maturity, not to mention that most of us — including Eminem, who said he would not use expletives in front of his children — know instinctively it is not best for our society.

The Bible is explicit in reminding us “the power of death and life” is in the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21); and that we must “put off all filthy communication out of (our) mouth” (Colossians 3:8).

God commanded, “Neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 18:21).

I have a feeling the apostle wasn’t thinking about conversation peppered with expletives and demeaning comparisons, such as shamefully rage from classrooms to congress today, when he wrote our “speech (should) be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man.”

His challenge was “salty speech” that is rational and redemptive.

Roger Gitlin, a teacher in California, wrote that profanity seems to be becoming mainstream.

He said the “plague” was everywhere.

The California State Education Code already includes a provision for suspension of a student who habitually is profane.

Another California high school is considering zero-tolerance, not only for students, but teachers and staff as well.

Jeffery Weis is a Dallas Morning Star correspondent who has written extensively on this subject and coined the word “civilogue” to define people whose speech is civil, makes a strong call for action to counteract the increasing blight of crude, insensitive and often immoral speech.

He said the passions of disagreements should not overwhelm the common values that bind us and to take back the rhetoric.

That sounds like the president’s call to “ratchet-down the rhetoric.”

I doubt that washing out the mouths of “word-handicapped” folks will solve the problem, but there are some things that can be done.

FaceBook added a “Profanity Block List” and EBay carries the warning that “we just don’t allow using hateful, offensive, profane or vulgar language in almost all public areas of the website.”

Whether or not one is religious, it will do all of us good to follow the wisdom of the great Apostle Paul who said, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29).

It would make us all proud again.

The Rev. Guy BonGiovanni is director of Life Enrichment Ministries Inc. in Canfield.