Tail feathers - STANDARDS AND PRACTICES

"An armed society is a polite society," the NRA says in one of its dicta, cribbed from Robert A. Heinlein, a 20th-century American science fiction writer.

- Tom Carney

But you know what else produces a polite society? Manners. Empathy. Consideration of others. Like holding doors for people.

I like to think that most people, once rinsed of the hatred disgorged by their social media accounts, jaundiced TV or radio commentators or political ads and rallies, would actually prefer to be nicer to each other. It's fun. It's calming. It just feels right.

I base this notion on the results of a single non-scientific experiment conducted over the last decade of my stint as a public high school teacher. At some point, I got sick and tired of kids just coming up to my desk and standing there, mouths agape as if they were trying to catch flies. I'd issue a surly WHAT???, which, upon reflection, gave neither of us any satisfaction.

Somehow, I figured out that if they would politely interrupt me, then it would be good for everyone. So, I explained that if they wanted something from me—and why else would they approach me?—they'd have to say, "Excuse me, please." The immediate result was I'd reply with a pleasant and decidedly non-surly, "Yes?" So, no matter what they wanted, the first word out of my mouth was friendly and agreeable.