At home and in school, I was taught what I thought were basic rules of civility: In a large group, raise your hand and wait to be called on before speaking. Don’t interrupt. Take turns. Never say “shut up.” Don’t throw fits.
In other words, be respectful. Jonah Goldberg disagrees with this politeness (10/29, “Stifling Dissent Can be Most Uncivil Cut of All”).Commentators on the Fox News Network tell folks to go to meetings, and if they don’t agree with the speaker, don’t let that person talk. Do name calling. Raise a ruckus. Be rude. Disrupt the meeting.
Fox’s commentators tell people to do things that most kids would get in trouble for at home or at school. Goldberg justifies this hourly bombardment of rabble rousing and demonizing by equating it to isolated statements made over the course of decades.
It doesn’t take a genius to know that this isn’t the same. As we try to have constructive communication in our every day lives, why would anyone condone the methods used on Fox News except those who just enjoy being mad?
Teri Weiter
Raytown
Teri, please tell us what commentator on Fox has instructed these things. I have never heard such, although Rush may have said things like this, but I don't listen to him. This sounds like tactics the left websites use.
Posted by: Bill Moses | November 07, 2009 at 10:50 PM