Pondering

Okay, I confess. I enjoy watching the British House of Commons sessions.

It’s a bit like my love for British humor, which even when slightly bawdy seems so much more innocent than ours. (Yes, I filter all media input—thank you VidAngel!). With respect to the British House of Commons, there is an established decorum that allows for disagreement without petulance. The “Hear, hear!” declarations (which are short for “Hear them—listen to what’s being said because it’s important”) and pounding of hands on desks, (MPs—Members of Parliament—are not allowed to applaud with both hands), along with incredibly witty retorts, makes what we see today in our politics look pedestrian if not infantile in comparison.

Take for example President Biden’s recent State of the Union address–an annual event which, since President Obama’s terms in office, now seems to require jeering, booing, and screaming insults…not to mention an angry, yelling, combative President. I get that we’re divided in this country and passionately concerned about it, but I wonder what we’re teaching the next generation. Those who lack self-control justify their crudeness as a necessary reaction to “evil” and believe they are teaching the next generation to courageously “Speak truth!” Again, this often falls under the ridiculous and untrue axiom, “If you disagree with me, you hate me. Because you hate me you are evil. Because you are evil, I can do whatever I want to ruin your life.” Conflating free speech and social justice with toddler-like behavior encourages the next generation to act stupidly, not persuasively. We should teach them not simply that they can stand against unrighteousness or injustice, but how they should do so.

Maybe we’re on a trajectory where our political discourse in formal settings will result in new rules of engagement, like those of the British House of Commons. But something tells me the growing number of immature politicians in our midst will simply cast-off such constraints. Any good parent knows that without consequences toddlers will continue throwing tantrums.

Yet this leads me to our discourse—the language and tactics we use in our personal lives. It’s very tempting to engage in vituperation (bitter, abusive language) when we are angered by something, particularly contending with the irrational nature of people these days. I must often restrain myself online when responding to social media bomb-throwers, pausing to discern: (1) The real issue a person might be dealing with; (2) Whether a response is warranted at all. Not easy, particularly for those of us who communicate for a living. Here I’m reminded of Proverbs 15:1:

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.”

Whether the lack of civility we see in our political discourse today is a root or reflection of our nation’s maladies, in purely political matters I believe it’s possible to disagree, even passionately, without being stupid or hateful.

Just check out the British House of Commons, which seems a bit more reasonable…or at least more entertaining.