Civil discourse required

“Your eel, I think, Sir”

The other evening, I was having a good conversation with my father about the usual range of issues like politics, sports, health care, news coverage….all with humor and the good nature required between Chicago and Boston sports fans and veteran political observers. We have a few good laughs about it all and generally wind up hoping we’ve sort of ‘solved the problems of the world for now’. But in a more serious moment, something prompted Dad to say he’s really bothered by the lack of manners and lack of character we now have in this country, and in some parts of it even more than others. “We were always taught to be courteous” he said, simply enough, and he’s right. “Now, more people are rude and insulting, they either don’t know how to be polite or don’t care to.”

Here’s some good news about that, Dad.

About a day after that conversation, I caught a news feature on tv about 14 year old McKay Hatch, a bright young man, who felt like my Dad and decided to do something about it. So he started the ‘No Cussing Club.’ It was this simple:

A lot of kids at my school, and some of my friends, would cuss and use dirty language all the time.  They did it so much, they didn’t even realize they were doing it.  It bothered me so much that one day I challenged them to stop!  They were shocked.  They didn’t know that it was bothering me.  They didn’t even realize how much they were doing it until I said something.  I was actually surprised at how they reacted; they accepted my No Cussing Challenge.  But some of the kids said they didn’t know how to stop.  That’s when I started the No Cussing Club.

We could help each other by reminding and supporting each other not to cuss.  Word spread at my school and a month later the No Cussing Club had 50 members.

People in my city that I didn’t even know were asking me how they could become members.  Now there are NCC members all across the United States and other countries.

And the city of Pasadena ‘enforced’ a ‘No Cussing Week’ last week, which of course got publicity, which was the point. They wanted citizens to be aware of the impact their conversation has on others. Which can lead to awareness of general behavior, as Hatch has discovered.

Through the No Cussing Challenge I realized that I could use POSITIVE PEER PRESSURE on my friends.  If my friends could say no to cussing, how much easier will it be for them to say no to drugs, violence, and pornography.

Our NCC Motto is: LEAVE PEOPLE BETTER THAN YOU FOUND THEM!

How inspiring! In fact, now there’s a story out of Florida of another community trying to curb profanity. A father prompted some action when he couldn’t take his children to the park without hearing it.

“This is a case where as a community we can not only free the minds of our children from being exposed to that sort of degrading language, but we can free those who are in the mindless habit of using it,” Whitmer wrote to county commissioners.

So officials posted “No Profanity” signs, hoping they would help folks be….mindful. 

It’s a start. Set a good example. Encourage civility in others, and they just may rise to the occasion. It’s working pretty well for McKay Hatch.

Spread the word. And make it a polite one.