LETTER: Lack of public decency in civil discourse is unsettling
Editor:
West Virginia is a beautiful state. I know this from trips my wife and I have taken along Interstates 64 and 81.
We’ve enjoyed our stops at the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and the famous Blenko glassware site in Milton. No matter if our stops were for hours or overnight, we always found the people of West Virginia courteous and friendly.
On Friday, July 21, we used I-81 to keep us off the heavily traveled I-95 on our way to Cape Cod for a family reunion.
We stopped at the West Virginia Welcome Center for a quick break. As we reentered I-81, from the passenger’s side of the car, my wife saw an American flag flying upside down, and right beside it another flag. That flag featured the “F” word and, below this inappropriate slang, was the last name of President Joe Biden.
I could not believe my wife’s report. For the next several miles, I was in shock over this offensive public display.
In all honesty, I’m an imperfect human being who is no stranger to using unacceptable language. I believe in freedom of speech.
Yet, I struggle to understand why we choose to disregard the boundaries of decency and respect for this essential American value. Don’t we have other forums to vent our political frustrations without offensive flags flying along an interstate?
A few years ago, former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told an audience at the Richmond Forum: “The United States faces threats from extremists and unstable regimes around the world, but it’s the nation’s own political incivility that poses the gravest risk.”
I think Gates’ assessment is correct. But what is even more unsettling to me is our inability to see this.
Bill Pike
Richmond, Virginia
Note from author: I’m honored to have my Letter To The Editor published in the Charleston Gazette-Mail today, Friday, August 4, 2023. If the words resonate with you please share. Love, Bill
might be baloney 