One of the great advantages to presenting a program like Radio Smart Talk is that we don’t feel pressure to follow the media herd, to simply seize on the topic du jour, without any context or research, simply because it’s the “hot” topic. While we certainly want to explore issues and ideas that capture our collective zeitgeist, sometimes there can be an advantage to holding back for a bit, and letting the dust settle. That’s what we did with our health care summit earlier this month, which occurred a few weeks after the most vitriolic health care town halls took place – the end result was a more thoughtful, respectful hour.
And that’s what we’ll do again this week, when Radio Smart Talk devotes a program to exploring rudeness in our culture – what causes it, when and how we add to it, and how it manifests itself in our everyday lives, from so-called ‘road rage’ to simply dismissing the person standing right in front of you while you’re busy texting! We’ll consider the impediments to being more conscientious about other people, and how the pressures of 21st century America may lend to a more strident culture. But we’ll also try to put such concerns in perspective – with a look at how Americans have behaved historically: there have been and always will be foul-mouthed athletes, combative politicians, and perhaps slightly misguided musicians.
We’ll also consider what we can all do to try to set a better example in our own lives and our own communities in how we relate to one another. Then, by extension, maybe the next time the national conversation turns to rudeness, I won’t be able to so easily tick off a list of people who are so easily ticked off.
Your questions and insights, as always, are most welcome.
