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SyndicateOn Respect and Civility
By Robert Ringer - Thursday, August 6, 2009
By Robert Ringer
I’ve always thought that Frank Luntz seemed like a nice young man with an interesting shtick — measuring people’s reactions to words via some kind of electronic gizmo he puts in their hands. I have no idea how valid his measurements are, but it’s worked well enough to make him a regular on Fox News.
And I say more power to him; I love to see people succeed. Luntz’s day job is acting as a political consultant and pollster for the Republican Party, and he also is one of the principals of the Luntz, Maslansky Strategic Research firm.
So far, so good. But, like so many Republicans, Luntz tries very hard to act as though he’s above the fray — capitalism, communism, freedom, slavery … no big deal … it’s all just part of the political game, right? Everyone’s viewpoint has equal moral validity, right? Civilized people can agree to disagree, right? Hmm … not so much, Frank. I take the subject of liberty a bit more serious than that.
Appearing on Hannity a couple evenings ago and discussing the town-hall holocausts the Democrats are now facing, Luntz said, “I think it’s organic and real. But I do want to make this point, and I think it’s important that these are elected officials — they are our senators and our congress people — and I think it’s important that we treat them with respect and civility even if we disagree with their point of view.”
Say what? These people have bankrupted the country, violate the Constitution on a daily basis, take our money without permission and hand it to mega-corporations and banks, are threatening to destroy our healthcare system and appointing czars to usurp our freedom —and Luntz believes that it’s important to “treat them with respect and civility?” Allow me to pose a silly question: Why?
Frank, I say this to you with the utmost respect for your talents: You have to put down your word-measuring gizmos long enough to do some serious reading. You might start with Jonah Goldberg’s Liberal Fascism, Glenn Beck’s Common Sense, Michelle Malkin’s Culture of Corruption, Dick Morris’s Catastrophe, and Wayne Allyn Root’s The Conscience of a Libertarian. Then take the time to think about what you’ve read. This is not a political game. It’s a life-or-death struggle for our children’s and grandchildren’s future.
From Saul Alinsky (Rules for Radicals) … to Frank Marshall Davis (BHO’s original communist mentor) … to Bill Ayers (“In revolutions, innocent people get hurt.”) … to Rev. Jeremiah Wright (“G… damn America!”) … to the Duplicitous Despot himself, the progressives … collectivists … Marxists … communists … statists — call them what you will — are deadly serious about making good on BHO’s promise to “remake America.”
And, make no mistake about it, all progressives believe that the greatest advantage they have over those who are old-fashioned enough to still give liberty a higher priority than all other objectives is that the such people not only do not believe in violence, they also are civil and respectful to those with opposing views.
Now hear this, Frank: The left is not civil, does not treat those who disagree with their collectivist’s views with respect, and, going back to the days of Lenin himself, does believe that lying and violence are among the means that are justified by their “noble” objectives.
It is this same naiveté about treating the opposition with “respect and civility” that has Islamic fascists around the world laughing at us. Remember well the words of Mohammed Atta before he embarked on his suicide mission of crashing a jetliner into the World Trade Center on 9/11: “The enemy is stupid.”
Having said this, Frank, please join with me in a moment of silence to thank Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin … and a long list of other conservative and libertarian-centered-conservative radio and TV commentators who are more interested preventing the progressive thugs in Washington from “remaking America” than in being respectful and civil to them.
If respectfulness and civility worked, I’d be all for it. It doesn’t.
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ROBERT RINGER is a New York Times #1 bestselling author and host of the highly acclaimed Liberty Education Interview Series, which features interviews with top political, economic, and social leaders. He has appeared on Fox News, Fox Business, The Tonight Show, Today, The Dennis Miller Show, Good Morning America, The Lars Larson Show, ABC Nightline, and The Charlie Rose Show, and has been the subject of feature articles in such major publications as Time, People, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Barron's, and The New York Times.
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18 Responses to “On Respect and Civility”
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PRAVDA!
RJS Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation.
August 6th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Give Congress respect? This person is OUT OF HIS MIND.
Congress is a pack of thieves robbing us and our future. They are dishonest CROOKS.
They don’t have the USA first but their pocketbooks. They are congenital liars and the worst part is that they think we believe their BS.
These people must be voted out of office.
They are out of touch with reality and the people of this country who are Legally here by birth or otherwise.
The latest arrogance is ordering private jets to haul their dishonest, lying ASSES around. This after taking to task the CEOs of the major care makers. What a bunch of hippocrites.
The legal people of this Country must start a movement to take our freedom back. We have to start this at the local level now.
In conclusion, healthcare reform is NOT REFORM BUT A WAY TO BREAK THE SYSTEM IN THEIR HIDDEN AGENDA.
I fired off a email to Hannity as soon as Frank was finished with that statement. I had always though he seemed like a reasonably intelligent guy although his bits with the lines going up and down were a little silly to me. Now I wonder what planet he’s living on.
Why should the population treat our elected officials with “respect and civility” when they don’t treat US that way? I believe 90% (maybe more) of the politicians in Washington, DC are so far out of touch with mainstream America it’s pathetic. The whole electoral process is so tainted it’s a joke. What kind of “respect and civility” are they showing us when they pass trillion dollar “stimulus” bills without having read a word of them? What kind of “respect and civility” are they showing us by saying “We’re going to change YOUR health care plans any way we want to..but not OURS, it’s just fine.”?
There will be another revolution…I just hope I live to see it.
After having taken an oath “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…” I have accepted as a citizen’s DUTY to view all elected officials with SUSPICION to insure that they carry out the duties — and ONLY the duties — for which I/we elected them, and that they not abuse the temporary authority and power I/we grant them. In the past we could count on our free press to assist us in these efforts, but presently that is not the case. Hence Mr. Luntz is not only wrong in urging that we treat as royalty our elected pols, but comes off as a complete fool.
Respectfully,
Neil E. Clapp,
Natural born United States citizen
I can disagree without being “Diagreeable” Why do I have to go down to their level?
CAN i not sucinctly make a point with out screaming, ranting, raving ?
Right on the money!!! I personally think that we need to reinstitute tarring and feathering! Run them out of DC on a rail and seriously think about hanging if they ever return. These folks are evil!
Maybe I’m naive–I’ve found throughout my years–I’m 55 years old– that uncivility is counterproductive. I’ve acted in ways that make me cringe now when I think about them. And in your book, “Action”, you said something to the effect that, “The world may be going insane, but that doesn’t mean you have to join the madness.” You know, you will gain the respect of other civil people when you yourself act with civility. But as to those who don’t act with civility, your own lack of manners won’t win your objectives, but just further deteriorate the picture.
As for M.Atta, he had the MOST counterproductive view if he thinks his act introduced him to 12 virgins in the next life! Remember the reality of self-interest. He looks like one of the biggest fools this country has ever seen.
Robert,
You nail.ed the nail on the head with this article. I think we are finally seeing the silent majority finally rally around a cause that is near and dear to them. LIFE & LIVING. Luntz always seems wishy washy in most of his analysis on most of his polls. He always ends sentences with BUT. Never good to play both sides
I sent a letter to my local newspaper. The subject no one talks about is what happens in 2017 when we are spending more on Medicare and Social Security than is coming in. This is what needs to be fixed, not adding a new expense.
I hope people get it.
It would be refreshing to see about 2/3rds of Congress getting the boot in 2010.
Robert,
You are exactly right. Just as Atta believed “the enemy is stupid,” so the prog/libs have utter disdain for the American people and also believe we are stupid.
Maybe if we show them some disrespect in an uncivil manner, those knuckleheads will begin to realize just how much anger they’ve created.
They need to learn there are consequences for their total disregard of the very people who gave them the honor to serve this great nation and its people. Instead they think we’re here to serve them.
Civility is a tool. We should all use it to win friends and allies. Shouting down the opposition is the favorite technique of the “politically correct” crowd. Let’s not stoop to their level.
HOWEVER, when it comes to respect: I respect the office, but the occupant of that office has to earn my respect – every day!
Your article is dead on!!
I’ve heard the “disagree without being disagreeable” and “civility will triumph” argument before and they didn’t. Like neclapp, I swore that oath. It was when I enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1967 before going to Vietnam. Before and after my military service, I attended a college where, whenever a conservative speaker came the leftists on campus would shout him down but whenever a liberal speaker (Eugene McCarthy comes specifically to mind those who shared my political leanings behaved with decorum. Guess which group got the media coverage. Upon my return from Vietnam, I was yelled and spit at but “don’t be disagreeable” school continued to govern most of my behavior.
The notable exception was that in class one day after the Carswell (SC nomination) defeat a young liberal sitting next to me threw his fist into the air and screamed at the top of his lungs “Lomg live the peoples revolution”. He was several inches taller but I grabbed him by the throat, put him against the wall and told hium that if he ever pointed his peoples revolution at me again I’d throw him out the classroom window (6 foot open window) on the fourth floor. His behavior modified dramatically and I had no future problems with him.
The relevant point, however, is that his side won and the US lost in Vietnam. Today, it is accepted wisdom that the North Vietnamese won their war here in the US. The tactics used by the left worked then. In spite of the old “what you are speaks so loudly that I can’t hear what you say” rhetoric which we always heard from the media, those tactics worked and we lost a war.
More recently, they’ve worked to silence conservative speakers on a variety of topics at a variety of university campuses where “free speech” is the mantra while the reality is quite different. If we lose here, there’s no place to retreat to.
WRT Mohammad Atta, I don’t know or care where Atta is but he hardly looks like a fool and half our own media consider him and his cronies brave and even heroic. It’s interesting that to even allude to his muslim origins and motivations or Islamofascism is “politically incorrect”. It’s impossible to defeat an enemy you refuse to identify. “Sharia law” we’re being told is “compatible with the Constitution”. UN “Conventions” which will override provisions of the Constitution, we’re told by legal scholars are being prepared for consent and signature but we’re supposed to consider “intolerance” the only sin and”civility”as the supreme virtue. I’m not “Stormin Norman” so I call Bovine Scatology Bull Shit.
I’d never run for political office and I see my willingness to make and defend statements that offend others as a strength and if, necessary, I’ll do a lot more that that to keep my country for which I’ve paid my citizenship dues. I’d suggest if being disagreeable is a greater concern than winning perhaps the issue isn’t worth fighting over.
Yell at the bastards if you want and intimidate the hell out of them. If they can’t stand the heat, they should get out of the kitchen.
Locked and loaded.
One reason for practicing civility at all times is to avoid giving the government an excuse to declare martial law.
Ironically, I was thinking the exact same thing when I saw Luntz on Fox the other night complaining about the protestors at these townhall meetings being so forceful in their expressions of distaste for our government’s actions of late. Luntz’s moderation is the stuff of which elections are lost. I like him personally, he is a bright guy, but he is always trying to split the difference.
More power to these gutsy protestors – and as always thanks Robert for keeping on writing.
It is not uncivilized to point out and needle the faults of individual politicians who are running America into the ground. In fact, it is necessary to demean those men and their ideas—-anything less is complete conformity. It is also essential that more be done than just talk, talk, and more talk if results are expected.
Henry David Thoreau attempted to rouse those individuals who were caught in a civil and passive stupor with the following words: “Unjust laws exist: shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? Men, generally, under such a government as this, think that they ought to wait until they have persuaded the majority to alter them. They think that, if they should resist, the remedy would be worse than the evil. But it is the fault of the government itself that the remedy is worse than the evil. It makes it worse. Why is it not more apt to anticipate and provide for reform? Why does it not cherish its wise minority? Why does it cry and resist before it is hurt? Why does it not encourage its citizens to put out its faults, and do better than it would have them? Why does it always crucify Christ and excommunicate Copernicus and Luther, and pronounce Washington and Franklin rebels?”………….”Cast your whole vote, not a strip of paper merely, but your whole influence. A minority is powerless while it conforms to the majority; it is not even a minority then; but it is irresistible when it clogs by its whole weight. If the alternative is to keep all just men in prison, or give up war and slavery, the State will not hesitate which to choose. If a thousand men were not to pay their tax bills this year, that would not be a violent and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them, and enable the State to commit violence and shed innocent blood. This is, in fact, the definition of a peaceable revolution.” …..
In my opinion, the “wise minority” that Thoreau spoke of is at an all time low. Pain, the intensely piercing pain of socialism gone wild in America might wise the masses up enough so that they stop and listen to the “wise minority.”
I say the time will come when Americans must cast their “whole vote” and revolt. A revolt is not very “civil” nor is it friendly. A “peaceable revolution” lacks respect for those who it aims to dethrone—-as well it should.
It’s interesting to see different readers’ definition of respect and civility. To some it appears to mean keeping your mouth shut and never objecting to what these monsters do. To others it means not staging a riot.
Personally, I was raised to be respectful of all those in authority – but have lost that teaching along the way. When I look around I see almost anyone with any power to control others’ lives to be unworthy of any respect whatsoever.
We have a President and Congress trying to destroy America. We have small town officials creating trouble for citizens just because “they can.” We have cops tasering, shooting, beating and killing innocent people. We have teachers abusing children in the classroom.
My new attitude about anyone in any position of authority is to NOT trust or respect them until they have proven that they deserve it.
The only thing I see good about what’s going on right now is that it might make enough more people mad enough to stop respecting those goons and fight back. It is time we stood up and said “Enough.”
I join you in thanks to those folks like Hannity who dare to shout them down.
And I thank you for speaking out along with them.
God bless you Robert. Don’t ever stop from passing on the knowledge and information that you do. We are all better people because of it.
Good article Robert. Earlier generations understood this, it’s just old school common sense. Nowadays people are like Eve in the garden of Eden, as long as the serpent sounds “nice” he must be a nice guy until he attacks of course. Luntz is just another self serving RINO that is as much a problem as the democrat wackjobs themselves, if not more so because people like him dupe people into thinking the Repukes are actually doing something to halt this mess. He vacillates between sides like an indecisive female, screw him and screw FOX news.
If someone could show Frank Luntz that our government is run by people who behave more like the Mafia than by people from, say, the Center for Responsive Politics he might begin to lose respect for most politicians in Washington.
If someone could show Frank Luntz that our current President, as well as several former Presidents over the past 75 years, are more akin to men like John Gotti or Al Capone, than men like George Washington or Benjamin Franklin, Frank would begin to lose respect.
I believe this is what millions of Americans refuse to see or believe. They can’t accept the idea that THEIR government, (which they were taught from childhood to honor), is more like the Mafia in its dealings than, say, the Center for Public Integrity. This is the illusion that Washington D.C. with the help of mainstream media has created. It is a deception.
People like Frank Luntz (as well-meaning as they may be) just haven’t completely let go of their high-school-civics-class illusion about how the U.S. government really operates, and for that matter, most any government. They refuse to become suspicious of top political leaders. They can’t imagine these men as criminals and wrongdoers. For many people it’s just to frightening to contemplate. They block out such an idea. They turn on the idiot-tube and soon find a nice whitewashed image of their favorite politician.
But the moment one does drop the “civics-class” illusions, one can also lose that feeling of respect and that feeling that our politicians in Washington should be treated with civility.
In fact, most of the politicians in our government today should be treated with the utmost contempt by all Americans, democrat or republican. A very large number of them (past and present) are little more than liars and thieves, who have helped to pervert the laws of the land in the sense that Fredrick Bastiat spoke of, so they could deliberately take advantage of the everyday working people.
Think I’m wrong? Just ask Frank Luntz if he sees more similiarites between John Gotti and Barack Obama, than George Washington, and you’ll see. I’ll lay odds that Frank Luntz will take offense by such a comparison. But, there is the root of the problem.
Here is a possible answer. If you know Frank, have his trust and can present a good argument, he might see that Barack Obama (and many other politicians) are better compared to John Gotti than George Washington.
As Mr. Ringer says, the answer is education. The more people are educated and helped to see the real truth, the sooner we can TAKE BACK AMERICA.
One other possibility is that Frank Luntz does see many similarities between Capone and Obama, but just doesn’t want to admit it openly. In which case he may be beyond help.