Friday January 8, 2010 | Towards A More Civil America
January 7, 2010 at 9:43 am | Posted in Coming Up | 12 Comments
“Civilization requires civility. Words matter.” That’s a quote from National Endowment for the Humanities’ Chairman Jim Leach last November when he announced the launch of a 50 state “Civility Tour” he’ll be making over the next 18 months to call attention to the need of civil discourse in American Society. In advance of Mr. Leach’s stop in Charlotte next week, we’ll discuss his goal for a more civil America.
Guest
Jim Leach – Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities
- Event | Jim Leach will lecture on “Civility and Bridging Cultures” on Jan. 14th at Levine Museum of the New South at 6pm. More info.
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I fear that the only thing that will truly bring a fundamental change in our civility will be a traumatic shock to our national pshyche such as another 9/11 or some type of national crisis. But we will need a leader who can bring us together next time instead of divide us.
Comment by Kelly in Salisbury— January 8, 2010 #
I have long thought Mister Leach to be the best Republican of the bunch, and am so glad that he is helping the Obama Administration do what I call “the heavy uplifting”, which is long overdue. Especially after an administration who foisted fear upon the public for selfish political gains. How would Mister Leach rate Fox News in terms of their uplifting message during the Obama administration?
Comment by David Beckwith— January 8, 2010 #
I wonder if Mr. Leach ever apologized for investigating the obviously bogus cocaine smuggling charges against Bill Clinton and leaking information in order to trash the president?
Another example of “Do as I say.”
Comment by Elizabeth— January 8, 2010 #
Might Mr. Leach tell us exactly how ordinary moderate citizens are to get through this incivility when the government (under Republican control)
–wiped out regulation of the banking/financial industry;
–turned agencies such as the FDA into arms of the political machine and starved them of resources to do their jobs;
–destroyed the fairness doctrine; allowed FOX to be a propaganda arm of the uncivil right wing;
–and let the media consolidation of the right go full tilt toward taking control of the whole country.
Not to mention that so many of our legislators are part of what is known as The Followship and The Family–and determined to use religion against us to take over this country and turn it into a dictatorship.
Then Mr. Leach practically says that the reasonable people who protest this are just as guilty as the right in being uncivil. Please, give us a break.
Some of us moderate centrists are looking at what was our country, too, and wondering which foreign government will give us refuge from this right wing madness…..
Comment by MJ— January 8, 2010 #
I have to agree. The current slide into trash politics was started by “Mr. Nice Guy”, George Bush I who allowed his hatchetman Lee Atwater to use all kinds of disgusting tactics.
Atwater admitted his sins and apologized on his death for what he did to our politics, but that did not stop his proteges, Karl Rove and George Bush II from perfecting his tactics. They were perfectly willing to use Atwater’s odious “push poll” tactic against fellow Republican John McCain in the South Carolina primary to spread false accusations that McCain had been brainwashed by the North Vietnamese and was a “Manchurian candidate”, that he fathered a black child out of wedlock, etc.
Democrats are also guilty of indefensible treatment of opponents their attacks on Sarah Palin were too often egregiously sexist and their willingness to mock her daughter beyond the pale. However, Democrats do not have an organized smear machine and I hope they never adopt these tacticas. Unfortunately they are terrible at countering Republican smears, which just encourages them.
Comment by Elizabeth— January 8, 2010 #
Kelly is a boy’s name too.
Comment by Kelly in Salisbury— January 8, 2010 #
Are all Iowans as boring as Jim Leach? I’m trying to ask a civil question. Is he a talking cadaver?
Comment by Hal Edwards— January 8, 2010 #
The chairman of NEH is now a “CEO” !!!!????? Is that real or did you just give him that title for the program?
Change the language and you change the mind. The association of CEO with the humanities is like the tip of the sabre under the fingernail……
One more tiny sign of the problems in this country.
But America cannot, at least now, be accused, en masse, of recognizing subtlety.
Comment by MJ— January 8, 2010 #
MJ – Thanks for the comment. The title CEO was a mistake. Jim Leech is the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Thanks for the correction.
Erin Sutton, Production Assistant
Comment by Charlotte Talks— January 8, 2010 #
See and learn more about the Levine Museum of the New South and over 75 other sites on Charlotte’s Longest-Running Daily City Tour presented by Queen City Tours and Travel!
Comment by Queen City Tours and— January 9, 2010 #
The question I had for Jim was in regard to Islam and how to deal with our situation in a cival/tolerant manner.
I worry that tolerance will result in the death of Americans. While Islam has some peaceful followers, it is not a religion of peace. The extremist are actually the ones doing what their religion tells them to do and living consistently. This being the case, it is not tolerance that will stop these folks. Either we kill them, they kill us or we convert them to Chrstianity. What say you Jim?
Comment by Sam— January 10, 2010 #