Tim Scott [05/14/2004]

To the editor:One of the fundamental characteristics of a free and open society is a basic level of respect that humans are supposed to have toward one another. The expectation is that no one is any better than anyone else and those individual rights for people to be, behave and believe, are up to them. As long as you are not breaking the law, or some say, the golden rule, we are pretty much free to be. Or so it would seem.Lately our communities, fueled by the media, as well as a breakdown of civility in our society as a whole, seem to have become infected with a level of unpleasantness that is disturbing. From reports of parents (and students) verbally attacking teachers, parishioners attacking pastors, citizens attacking their elected leaders and the rest of us attacking each other, we seem to be mired in a time of verbal nastiness toward one another that grows every day. I believe that, in the end, most of us simply want to get along and that we thrive as a society when this goal is kept in sight. Instead, we repeatedly hear from a minority of opinionated and outspoken people who wont seem to rest until they have made the rest of us miserable, too.Perhaps it is time for this silent majority to speak up and, by doing so, show this creeping virus of negativity the proverbial door. For we all know that anger only breeds greater anger; and yet a dose of civility can and will brighten anyones day.