To defend every thought, every question as if freedom depended upon it, is tiring. The Word Police randomly sample and content all speech leaving nothing to discussion, simple debate or reflection. Everything must be ironed out the moment it is said such that those around me have become silent not wishing to fight over every dangling participle or unrefined hypothesis. We used to sit around and throw things out there, ideas to be tossed around and made mature or useless by those reviewing, commenting or improving them. We have stopped working together, even now our representatives in Congress stay home most days and the bills that they put forward are never handled in committee debate but rather are hand delivered by pundits, PACs or lobbyists. They no longer need to verify their own votes even abdicating that august privilege to some agent or donor page.

Have we so strained the good will in America that now we are the owners of permafrost heart. Incapable of disagreement, unwilling to see perspective not our own and ill prepared to do the work of those who expect concerned thinking about important subjects. At least important to those who are being billed to pay for them. Slowly we wander into irrelevant spaces wondering why we have lost our potency and prowess. When to gain freedom and power we must make an effort to care about what others have said or are going to say if they ever get the floor to say it. There are changes that must be battled but simple poor manners may be changed immediately in the realization of their corruption. Time for a moral transition not some balance of budget but change of heart. Stop being mean for the sake of being mean and remember what honey brought you when the bleach never worked.

Intestinal gratitude and a little bit of cherry pie go a long way to creating a happy society. Not every one is going to get along but half the disagreements these days are conducted simply for the sake of the two parties having forgotten the modicum of good will that follows a bit of good manners freely given and accepted. Perhaps for once instead of labeling someone in pejorative we could pay them compliment or who knows maybe not start out every conversation telling each other how wrong we are, entering into certain debate and unresolved conflict. Have we lost all reason and knowledge with regard to simple good conversation? I am not condoning a sin session or party atmosphere in which to conduct good business but rather the preparedness of a good attitude and simple kindness may render in the most difficult circumstance or negotiation. Must we hate or is our tool bag so limited that the hammer is the only tool we’ve brought to the table?