Editorial: It’s sad when society celebrates uncivil behavior

Tennis great Serena Williams threatens a line judge at the U.S. Open, where Roger Federer also boorishly curses an umpire.

Performing artist Kanye West takes the microphone from singer Taylor Swift, winner of an MTV Music Video Award, and steals this girl’s moment.

Even Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer of our time, throws his clubs and curses after a bad shot as children, who admire him, watch. Even baseball players who don’t like an umpire’s call throw water buckets on to the field. Then we watch the highlights and laugh.

Even town hall meetings in our own community lead to less worthwhile discussion and more terse words.

And we’re surprised when a representative shouts at the president? Joe Wilson’s infamous “you lie” interruption President Obama during an address to Congress was an embarrassment to Capitol Hill.

We disagree with former President Jimmy Carter, who recently suggested that Wilson’s comments – as horrible as they were – were racially motivated. It’s too much to call Wilson a racist when there is no prior proof of that. Carter’s comment was off base. Wilson’s comment was not a result of racial overtures that continue to persist in the South. Instead, it’s more apparent that his comments are just another bi-product of the lack of civility throughout our entire country.

Where are we headed as a society? Our culture has become one that celebrates obnoxious behavior and civility is being lost.

All over our airwaves we hear name-calling and brash attitudes. What message is this sending to our children? Educators have a tough enough job right now and society is making it more difficult.

Slow deterioration of society’s behavior become amplified with the mass media we have today. Boorish behavior is replayed over and over again across the airwaves. And what’s really disappointing is that such behavior is even celebrated.

When we celebrate ignorance and disrespect, then it’s time our society takes a long look in the mirror and examine just what it has become.

If our society is to move forward, this behavior is not the right mechanism.