It took over 1,000 years of war, but by 776 B.C., the ancient Greeks finally realized the importance of unity. And so the Olympic Games were born. Every four years, hostilities ceased as leaders and athletes gathered in Olympia to compete and celebrate in the spirit of good will.
But more important than what occurred on those fields was what transpired off them. Greeks who had long been mortal enemies came together, enjoying food and drink with one other. It was here that ideas and philosophies were debated with vigor — and respect.
By opening their minds, the Greeks created an unprecedented level of understanding. And in many instances, adversaries became allies; allies became neighbors; and yes, neighbors became friends. That comradery led to the epiphany that Greeks weren’t that different from each other after all. And so began the Golden Age, where ideas were born that survived all the way until . . . well, this presidential election, it would seem.
In what has been the nastiest contest in American history, the candidates’ respect for each other was nonexistent, personal insults were commonplace, and tolerance for the “other side” vanished, replaced by bitter partisan attitudes and vitriolic attacks.
And nowhere was that more on display when the candidates refused to shake hands at their presidential debate. If you can’t even extend your hand in common courtesy, how can you ever expect to work together, let alone solve anything?
What the hell has happened to us?
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There is no excuse for such rudeness. None. As leaders, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton should have known that millions looked to them for guidance, and that their actions, good and bad, would be emulated. Unfortunately, the bad far outweighed the good. And that is a reflection of our society.
We have become a rude, gluttonous, self-absorbed people with little empathy for anyone but ourselves. Common decency and good manners have become casualties in our all-about-me entitlement society.
How did it get this way?
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Ronald Reagan enjoyed tremendous success despite the odds stacked against him. Above all, he was a gentleman — staunch in his beliefs, to be sure, yet approachable, with a knack for listening to friend and foe alike. He valued respect and courtesy over brashness and arrogance, and carried himself with a sincerity and likeability that trumped political calculation. And despite facing a Democratic-controlled Congress, The Gipper still managed to accomplish incredible things, because his opponents, such as Speaker Tip O’Neill, were also were his friends. They found a way to work together, not because they had to, but because they wanted to. And that made all the difference.
It was the same with society. If someone had a problem with a neighbor, he’d walk next door and talk it out with civility, without insults and threats of lawsuits. Same at work, school, play, even in government. But then things changed. Why?
— In part, because many now deem it acceptable to shout obscenities at the motorist who didn’t stomp on the accelerator the second the light turned green. Or insult someone at the ATM because we’re "inconvenienced" by waiting two minutes.
It has become commonplace for adults (and, sadly, their children) to butt in front of others — the same parents who scream at referees during sporting events and permit their children to call teachers and coaches by their first names.
— Social media addiction has created a cocoon, stripping away personal skills and producing generations completely oblivious to traditional social mores. Now, instead of talking person-to-person, it’s all too easy to demonize those with whom we disagree by blasting away on Facebook or Twitter, facts — and reputations — be damned. And for what? Because we don’t like what someone believes.
— Partly it’s because the idea of service has mostly disappeared. Once we had a multitude of social organizations, from the Knights of Columbus to Scouting, where members worked for the good of the community. But they are sad ghosts of the past, casualties of a Millennial generation that considers anything interfering with Netflix binge-watching and Instagram posts to be sacrilegious.
— And partly it’s because we have succumbed to political correctness, where tolerance is now a foreign concept, and reasonable discussion is often shot down as racist, bigoted, shaming, hurtful, insensitive, and otherwise "offensive." The majority may disagree with the PC police, but their silence has become a tacit endorsement of our hyper-sensitive society.
Will this election (and the new Administration) become the new normal, where insults and intolerance rule the day? Or will we put an end to it, right here and now, and demand that civility and respect once again become the cornerstones of our society?
The choice is ours.
If the Greeks could do it almost 3,000 years ago, why can’t we?
Chris Freind is an independent columnist, television commentator, and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, Freindly Fire Zone Media. Read more reports from Chris Freind — Click Here Now.
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