Courtesy

Courtesy, defined as a courteous (polite;considerate) behavior or act in the OED, is a powerful force. While the pen is mightier than the sword, courtesy is mightier than rudeness or aggression. As American culture emerges from the cloud of rapper thuggery, perhaps common courtesy could heal some of our cultural and philosophical rifts.

The power of common courtesy always amazes me, as a practitioner and recipient of it. Just yesterday, at my gym, which is still deeply immersed in rapper thuggery at times, the manager, usually grumpy and gruff, turned a corner as I did and said, "Hello, sir, how are you today?"as he passed me. Usually he ignores my customary nod and grin. In fact, he has snorted in response to it on occasion.

The effect of his courtesy was immediate. I felt more relaxed. The gym, which usually feels like a challenging mine field, seemed much more welcoming and benign for a while. A gang of rough young men soon obliterated the momentary glow, but a small incremental softening of the environment by the manager endured for me.

Subways, retail stores and elevators in the urban environment are fertile fields for common courtesy. Sowing the seed of polite, direct interactions with complete strangers in potentially hostile environments is very empowering. Eye contact and a smile, followed by a polite word or gesture, does the trick. Try it. You will see for yourself and reap the benefits.

Culture

Multiculturalism has become the refuge for scoundrels of all cultures.

Rudeness, public indecency, littering, obnoxious children, uncontrolled pets, vandalism, improper maintenance of private property. These blights on the general culture are routinely defended and excused by so-called multiculturalists, or The Politically Correct. Political correctness is used as a shield by the irresponsible and irresponsive. Looking the other way rather than practicing civic responsibility is a rampant behavior in urban society.

I ride public transport often. I see the deterioration in the American cultural ethic every time I am on the train. Garbage is thrown everywhere. People monopolize whole sections of a train to the exclusion of other passengers. Punks place their feet up and use three or four seats at their personal space with arrogant looks of challenge to anyone who might approach, regardless of that passenger's age or need of a seat.

These are symptoms of the dissolution of the fabric of civil society. By extolling the wonders of the cultures of our massive influx of immigrants, Americans have lowered the standard of their own country's etiquette to that of the Third World. Some immigrants have no needed role models, because nobody takes the time or risk of telling them their bahavior is simply inappropriate or disturbing to those around them. The poor who are native to America once looked to those who were better educated and mannered for standards of behavior. No more. They look to the deteriorated culture and simply behave as they would in their own educationally deprived homes. After all, nobody will take the time or energy to tell them otherwise. And, if some responsible, courageous citizen does speak up, that poor soul is often unsupported or even criticized by the lazy and undercultured around him/her in a public situation.

Practice involves constant self-appraisal, self-education, self-discipline. However, compassion cannot be practiced in isolation. Compassion sometimes entails correcting wrong behavior directly or by example. By correcting wrong, or uncivilized/dysfunctional social behaviors, the practitioner is being compassionate. The practitioner is trying to help the corrected person live a more functional and happy life in society.

Terrorism

Yes, let's wage a war against terror.

Let us wage war against those who teach their children homophobia, sexism, selfishness, materialism, violence, elitism, brutality and hatred, whether they be Protestant, Catholic, Jew, Mormon, atheist or Muslim.

Let us wage a war against those who greedily accumulate wealth from sweat, fear and trepidation of those who actually do the world's labor in the Americas, in Europe, in Asia, or in Africa.

Let us wage war against those who poison our air, our food, our water with irresponsible child-rearing, huge cars, fast food, sewage, and toxins.

In other words, let us wage war against our own human laziness and fear of change. Let each of us become a practicing warrior against materialism, jealousy, indolence, greed, stupidity, gluttony, addiction, prejudice, rudeness, hypocrisy, mindless reproduction and indifference. Let each of us practice looking toward the light of right thought and right living. This practice colors everything with new light. There is no shadow in this practice where terrorism can breed.