Letters to the Editor may be original social media, but let’s try for more civility | Opinion

This week, the Lexington Herald-Leader received a letter that we’re not going to publish.

Not because of its political leaning or its message. Not because of the writers or where they are from. Not even because we disagreed with what they had to say.

It won’t be published because of the lack of respect.

Every week, we get letters about any number of things. Some of those letters are gems. Others fling mud at those the writer dislikes, leaving dirt not just on their intended victims’ heads, but on the writer’s as well.

To be fair, letters to the editor were the first social media. Since the 1800s, letters to the editor have given people a voice and allowed them to let others know how they felt about a particular topic. Like a Speakers’ Corner, letters to the editor placed voters on the same level as elected officials and allowed everyday citizens to speak truth to power in a forum that put their opinion in front of thousands.

That’s still true today. Letters to the editor provide anyone with the ability to connect with people they don’t know and inform them how they feel on everything from local clubs to basketball to national politics.

But somewhere along the way, some have forgotten they’re able to disagree with people, positions and policies. In the age of social media posts where everyone wants to “Own the Libs” or “Destroy the Right,” we’ve forgotten how to discuss things with respect.

There was a time when Congressmembers who didn’t agree with the president would just sit quietly and disagree. In fact, it wasn’t too long ago when members of Congress referred to each other as “my esteemed colleague...” There was even a time when people didn’t revel with glee at calling out politicians on social media or reciting incendiary comments at government meetings hoping they’ll go viral.

Now those attitudes and arguments at the top are infiltrating our day-to-day actions.

Recently, in Vermont, a brawl broke out at a 7th and 8th grade boys’ basketball game. Video of the incident shows adult men and women, and at least one student athlete, throwing punches in a melee at center court.

In response, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott called for a return to civility and respect.

“I understand the passion surrounding sports, but it’s clear we have a problem, and we should not tolerate the hate. And it’s not just at these events, or sporting events in general, or unique to Vermont,” Scott said in an address on Tuesday. “I believe it’s a symptom of a much deeper problem, where there’s far too much anger, and a lack of respect in our society. We’re constantly being divided into camps, whether it’s politics, religion, race, or social issues. Everything has turned into ‘us versus them.’”

Rightfully, Scott said none of us should find that acceptable, and that we all have an obligation to tone down the rhetoric and recognize the humanity in others.

“I think we should all ask ourselves what we can we do in our everyday lives to help bring down the temperature a bit and be a better human being,” he said. “It all comes down to respect and civility, and doing our part to calm things down a bit when tensions are high, and things get heated.”

We’ve been hearing that a lot lately – the need to bring back civility, and do our part to ease tensions. Gov. Andy Beshear said the same in his Inauguration speech.

In that light, we won’t be publishing letters that are rude, disrespectful or engage in tactics better suited for a kindergarten classroom. As always, we reserve the right to edit letters to the editor, and if we need to make changes, we’ll let you know.

We, as a society, have a responsibility to shape our world into what we want it to be. We can disagree on the finer points of that, but we can all agree that we want others to treat us with respect. The only way to achieve that is to extend the olive branch of deference to others as well. If you can’t write a letter that doesn’t include character assassinations or allegations of aberrant behavior, your letter is better suited for Twitter than the Opinion Page of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Liz Carey is a writer who also compiles the Herald-Leader’s Letters to the Editor.