Speak with civility

Dear Editor:

With Lent here again (it began on Feb. 26), I am asking myself what am I going to give up.

Lent is the 40-day period of time prior to Easter, a time Christians use to reflect on their spiritual health, to examine their spiritual lives. The discipline of giving up something for Lent focuses attention on those habits of life that are detrimental to our spiritual well-being. Over time the practice of giving something up for Lent evolved into giving up bad habits for the 40 days of Lent.

I have been reflecting on the language we use to describe people we disagree with. Numerous examples are present in the media of people speaking of other people in inflammatory ways. How easily those patterns of speech that we see slip into everyday conversation. How easy it is to slip into language that is dismissive of the other person. How quickly language becomes derogatory, insulting, even down right nasty. Civility has been lost from our public discourse.

When I start blaming someone else for my lack of civility, when I start saying, “But they did it first” is when a song for the 1950s becomes an earworm: “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin in me.” My acting with civility towards others, my speaking of others in a civil manner, that is my responsibility.

Might we, regardless of our religious background or commitments, this Lent give up speech that disrespects others and choose instead to commit ourselves to speak with civility about those around us, even those with whom we disagree.

Peter Bush, Fergus