And like gun control, it pops up only when violence seems to come into play. So now civility is in the news again because of the shooting of Louisiana representative Steve Scalise and 4 others just last week. But little attention was paid to the 4 people killed in California that same day. A tragedy connected to an elected official seems to have a priority over the tragedy of death.
However, PolitiDose has been in the forefront on talking about the loss of civility in our political system for a number of years at a time when violence was not a factor. In fact, the present uncivil behavior in our politics can be traced to the republican era of Newt Gingrich, the man who became speaker of the U.S. House and adopted a republican system of un-American conservative ideology of personal attacks against the democratic party and government itself. His brand of conservatism was and still is one of elitism where the only thoughts and positions that matter or are worthwhile are conservative ones.
Today's republican party has taken that ideology to the extreme that extends to the republican controlled congress and President Trump. The news media, radio, TV and printed and a voting bloc even bought into and supported the uncivil ideology of the republican party in our political system.
Those who now say our politics should be civil were silent when republicans in congress called President Clinton scum, when the republicans said they would not do a thing to help President Obama after he was elected President or when the republicans and Trump said Obama was not born in the U.S and that Putin was a better leader, or when Trump ran the most uncivil and divisive Presidential campaign, or when the republicans was so uncivil in their comments about the ACA even to the point of saying it contained death panels. They even accept Trump's uncivil behavior as President.
Conservatism that has been practiced by the republican party since the Gingrich era is an un-American ideology which was also the subject of several political commentary in PolitiDose. The anti-Kennedy posters put out in public display on that fateful day in Dallas, one that read, Wanted for Treason, was traced to a conservative group as reported by the Dallas police department. Civility will never return to republican politics as long as they continue to practice and preach a conservative ideology that is un-American, uncivil and extreme.
President Trump is not only the most uncivil President the people can remember, he is a President who has governed with lies. The elitism that republicans preach will not change until the voters change so do not look for civility to return to our political system because of violence. And never forget, it was Donald Trump who said he could go out and shoot some one and his supporters would not care.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
