Civility, like free speech generally, is now something
we increasingly demand for ourselves and refuse to afford others. Civility
means that we get to wish others a merry Christmas whether or not others
celebrate it. Civility means that you can refuse service to an LGBT patron of
your business, and that she should be politely accepting of that choice.
Civility isn’t about bridging the divide so much as it is about being treated
civilly regardless of our words or actions.
As Adam Serwer summarized it
in this month’s Atlantic: “There are two definitions of civility. The
first is not being an asshole. The second is ‘I can do what I want and you can
shut up.’ The latter definition currently dominates American political
discourse.”
In that vein, Joe Biden caused
a stir in June when he thought back fondly to a more civil era in
politics: Recalling his debates with avowed segregationists like Mississippi’s
James Eastland, Biden lamented, “At least there was some civility. We got
things done. We didn’t agree on much of anything. We got things done. We got it
finished. But today you look at the other side and you’re the enemy. Not the
opposition, the enemy. We don’t talk to each other anymore.”
The problem of course is that “getting things done” by
meeting unabashed racists halfway no longer feels like a win-win, so much as
capitulation. Serwer made this point eloquently: “The true threat to America is
not an excess of vitriol, but that elites will come together in a consensus
that cripples democracy and acquiesces to the dictatorship of a shrinking number
of Americans who treat this nation as their exclusive birthright because of
their race and religion. This is the false peace of dominance, not the true
peace of justice, (emphasis added). Until Americans’ current dispute over the nature of our
republic is settled in favor of the latter, the dispute must continue.” Lithwick writes, "In
other words, there will be no civility if it means powerful men colluding to
harm the powerless—nor should there be."
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