Whether it be the inappropriate remarks and the use of the c-word made by Samantha Bee in reference to Ivanka Trump, Roseanne Barr's racist diatribe directed toward Obama's former advisor Valerie Jarret, our president calling a citizen exercising his First Amendment right of free speech 'a son of a bitch' or Robert DeNiro hurling a very loud f-you in the direction of Trump himself...with each unkind, hurtful and/or hateful verbal expression we further poison the air in which might otherwise conduct meaningful, difficult, potentially healing, heartfelt, and well intended dialogue. In these divisive times, we can chose to widen the gap between ourselves or perhaps opt for a path of mutual understanding in spite of the inherent difficulties associated with such an objective.
At short piece written and posted on my blog earlier in the year (1/17/18) was an attempt to underscore the need to dispel the entire notion of 'political correctness' and the poisonous backlash to it that is so much in evidence in today's national discourse. Perhaps we might want to consider a slight reworking of the golden rule: 'say onto others as we would want to be addressed'. The invocation of this principle is especially difficult and equally required in response to ill-intended invectives. To respond in kind to hateful speech is to be complicit in its continuance.
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