We have all heard vacationers come back from an exotic locale with tales of how wonderful the locals are. Often, these exclamations characterize, unhesitatingly, an entire nation: “Everyone is sooo nice in Mexico!” Or, “I just love the Bahamas, the locals are so happy and carefree!” It can be hard to argue against these impressions, particularly since the people … Continue reading »
politeness
Civility 101
In the last few weeks, “civility” has gone from a word rarely encountered to perhaps the most frequent noun in American public discourse. Everyone agrees: there is too little of it, our public servants need to display more of it toward one another. But – perhaps since we have until now used it only infrequently, … Continue reading »