Against Civility

Adult nonfiction

     Especially since Trump's filterless presidency many people on both sides of the [political] aisle have been longing for a return to civility.  Propriety, calm, maybe even a little bipartisanship.  What could be wrong with that?

     Plenty, Alex Zamalin, author of Against Civility, says.

     "From slavery to Jim Crow, to Black ghettoization, to mass incarceration, to police brutality, the idea of civility has been used to treat black suffering with apathy or to maintain an unjust status quo.  Worse, it has been a tool for silencing dissent, repressing political participation, enforcing economic inequality, and justifying violence upon people of color."

     We tend to see civility in terms of the politeness and niceties we're taught to practice in daily life.  Please, thank you, excuse me.  But in the dog eat dog world of politics it's a weapon wielded by the privileged against the oppressed in order to maintain the status quo.

     "The idea of civility has been recruited in these ways by these figures because it provides the perfect language for creating friends and identifying enemies, and for defining what is good and what is evil, legal and illegal, right and wrong.  Civility avoids moral gray areas and offers something more cleanly defined but also less complex.  This is suitable for those who want to demonize their opponents but also want to characterize themselves as virtuous."

     Zamalin serves us up with relevant examples.  In contrast he discusses civic radicals, those who unflinchingly speak truth to power and follow up with decisive action.  He shows how in today's world they are the only ones who can lead us to a world characterized by equity and justice and invites us to follow in their bold footsteps.

     If you have what it takes to become a civic radical (or wonder if you do) you'll find Against Civility to be a must read.

On a purrrsonal note, compared to the franticness of the week before, finals week has been a piece of cake, just wrapping up loose ends.  My leg keeps flaring up, but not as badly as before.  I am going to rest and alternate heat and ice to try to get it in better shape before next Wednesday when I start with Clean Sweep.  (Jules)

I have four days with them.  Let the good times roll.

A great big shout out goes out to other people working to recover from painful but minor injuries.

Tobago and Jules Hathaway 

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