“Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.” – Benjamin Franklin.
In society today, it’s not difficult to uncover politicians from across America—influential individuals whom the old and the young look up to and even model themselves after—who forget how to say the right thing.
Turn on your television or log in to your preferred online news source on any given day, and you’ll witness firsthand exactly what I’m talking about.
American politicians seem to have lost their ability to filter information appropriately, a skill many hardworking Americans must conform to (and rightfully so) to maintain their community standings and employment status.
But politicians of late seem to be above any responsible and sensible rules of conduct. In short, they’re missing something called “etiquette”—“the set of rules or customs that control accepted behavior in particular social groups or social situations.”
A blog post by American Express lists 15 vital social and business etiquettes, including acknowledging others, leaving religious beliefs out of the conversation, showing genuine interest, and, yes, watching what you say and how you say it.
When was the last time you heard radical politicians say the right thing when addressing the American people?
Unfortunately, it seems as though they’ve forgotten how to say the right things, convincing themselves they’re sitting in the comfort and security of their living rooms, not on a national, influential stage.
There’s Matt Gaetz’s boorish comment against women. “How many of the women rallying against overturning Roe are over-educated, under-loved millennials who sadly return from protests to a lonely microwave dinner with their cats, and no bumble matches?”
Lauren Boebert confesses her Islamophobia. “One of my I staffers, on his first day with me, got into an elevator in the Capitol. And in that elevator, we were joined by Ilhan Omar. It was just us three in there and I looked over and I said, well, lookey there, it’s the Jihad Squad. She doesn’t have a backpack, she wasn’t dropping it and running so we’re good.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene just rambling on as usual. “Accept the trans strippers dressed in drag grooming your kids, baby murder as birth control, and all of the assaults on your freedoms and way of life.”
And most recently, J.D. Vance. “We’re effectively run in this country, via the Democrats, via our corporate oligarchs, by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made, and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too. And it’s just a basic fact. You look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC – the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children.”
[Am I the only one to notice young, white male Republicans might have an unnatural obsession with cats?]
Say The Right Thing
There are several rather alarming realizations about the comments above and those who said them (especially for me, as one of them also calls Colorado home just as I do).
Number One
These are government elected officials who are supposed to lead with integrity and inspire others to become better stewards of American democracy for the betterment of all.
Number Two
They show no remorse or embarrassment for their irresponsible and disrespectful comments.
Number Three
If any average, hardworking American shared such comments while at their place of employment, they would be reprimanded immediately and probably terminated.
Number Four (my biggest concern)
They are teaching the young people of America that prejudices against race, religion, and gender are not only to be preserved but are deemed acceptable in the narratives of our nation’s politics.
What does it say about the American people when they see nothing wrong with teaching children to hate their fellow man, sometimes with violent results?
To discriminate against groups of individuals based on race, religion, and gender, all in a misguided effort to return to a time in American history filled with cultural suppression.
Sadly, there is no better evidence for the bullying going on in our schools and communities than to watch the bullying on display by today’s political extremists in Washington.
How easily we forget that bullying (and discrimination, for that matter) is a learned behavior by children and teens observing adults in positions of power.
My dear friends, we are at a crossroads in this country. If you think white political extremists hold the answer to your future or even care about your future, I challenge you to start thinking for yourselves.
Educating yourself with credible facts and data will encourage you to say the right thing in the right place. Remember, the truth may not always be popular, but it’s still the truth.
Question ideas and how they impact you and society with empathy.
Stand up and demand that our politicians say the right thing—inspire and unite us with etiquette rather than contaminate and divide us with lies.
If hate spewed continuously and flippantly from our political leaders is now considered normal, and how we’ve come to define ourselves as Americans, I’m not sure the future holds much promise for our children.
I close this post with another thought-provoking comment by Benjamin Franklin. “Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.”