Civility Engineering

My sister-in-law is over 7 months pregnant with her first child, and a couple weeks back she went shopping at a local big box baby store.   She lives in the Chicago area, but as a lifelong fan of the Green Bay Packers, she was wearing her green & gold Packers sweatshirt.  On her way to her car, a man in the parking lot saw that she is pregnant and saw her Green Bay gear, and he felt it appropriate to tell her that he “hopes her baby is deformed” because she roots for The Pack.   Really?   I mean, REALLY??  What could possibly be going through this guy’s head that he not only thought this atrocious and hurtful thought, but also felt it necessary  to verbalize it at all?

I understand cheering for and being a fan of a sports team.   I love my NY Giants and root for them against any opponent.   Part of being a fan, though, is knowing that there are fans of other teams, as well.   There should always be a bit of a rivalry between teams and fans, and I enjoy the back-and-forth banter during games.   I don’t think it should generate hate such that anyone would wish ill fate upon any other person (or baby in the womb — I mean, really??) just for wearing the team logo.   I enjoy it more when my team wins, of course, but no team wins ’em all, and being humble in victory and gracious in defeat is the primary lesson in sportsmanship and civility.   They’re just teams, and certainly  shouldn’t generate life-or-death ultimatums.

What could possibly be fun about having everyone cheering for the same team?   How could any sport even function if there was only one team and one fan base?  At the local, national, even international levels of sports, from youth to amateur to pro to Olympic, the competition between athletes and the rivalry among fans is what makes it exciting and worth watching.   When that fanaticism turns to belligerence, however, the excitement and the fun are drained away.   We cringe when we witness coaches, players, parents, and fans overstepping the bounds of decency and decorum and stooping to embarrassing levels of incivility towards one another.    That man in the parking lot reflects a poor trend in our society.

Similarly, we see the same declining trend of civility in our political arena.  The vile and vitriol spewed not only from the talking heads on TV but also by the candidates and party-backers, as well.    It’s disturbing to hear pundits describe one person or one party as an enemy of America just because he or she has a different idea about governing.   Diverse political ideology is rooted in our very existence.  Anti-Federalists clashed verbally with Federalists in our country’s infancy.   The substance of the Constitution was heatedly debated in Philadelphia, and several men vowed that the States they represented would not ratify the Constitution without the Amendments, now known as the Bill of Rights.   Initially there were 12 proposed Articles for incorporation, but only 10 of those were adopted as the Bill of Rights.   Debate and disagreement, but compromise and civility, too.

We need strong, serious debate about the role of government in our society, but this should be a reasoned discussion of ideals and options, goals,and strategies.   Though we each hold biases based on our experiences, our education, and our condition, we are still a nation of laws and of civility.   What should result is lively debate and enlightenment as we learn and understand one another’s perspectives.   Our elections should not be marketing campaigns rooted in attacks on individuals, but rather a positive look at a vision for the Country over the coming years.   This great Country of ours will outlive any individual, and the laws and government should be a reflection of the society, not of any one person, fringe group, or vocal minority.

 So, I have an idea (of course, that’s why I do this!   I think, therefore I blog!).  This past decade has seen the rise of “fantasy sports” with baseball and football being the most popular.   This phenomenon has broadened the appreciation of the sports and teams, and found broader appeal for the athletes, the teams, and the sports in and of themselves.   Most people understand the basic structure of fantasy sports teams, where players are selected, and their performances collectively in any given week provide the team “owner” with a score to compete against other fantasy “owners.”

What if we set up “fantasy political party” leagues?   I become the fantasy “chairman” of my own party — Pete’s Pols.    For instance, I can draft any 4 Senators, any 4 Representatives, 2 Governors, plus 2 “at-large” politicians (maybe an ambassador, a mayor, a cabinet member, or even the Prez or Veep)… Whatever, the league would have a Constitution for selection and scoring… Maybe I get 10 points when one of my pols gets reelected and 2 points if one of them is a sponsor of a bill (+4 points if it becomes a law!).    If one of my at-large pols gets elected as a Senator, I have to drop a Senator and pick up a new at-large pol.  Ooops, -10 points if a pol player isn’t re-elected, and -15 if he/she resigns in scandal!  OK, hopefully you get the idea.   I think that if people started looking across party lines at the actual people who get elected and their general effectiveness as leaders, the conversation may drift away from a “we” versus “they” mentality and into a constructive way to discuss different points of view.

It’s just an idea as I view public behavior in tough economic times.   We are a society that pulls together when facing extreme social challenges — think Katrina, 9/11, etc.   — and we care for each other and our fellow citizens, as well as people around the world.   Why are we turning on each other when times get tough at home?  Where is our civility hiding?   If the obnoxious guy in the baby store parking lot had Greg Jennings and Mason Crosby on his fantasy team, he probably wouldn’t even contemplate the putrid comment that he spewed that day.   If you believe at all in karma, he’ll get his comeuppance one way or another.  He will get no more press from me, though.

Besides, I’ve already got my political “draft election board” started… I’ve got Mitt ahead of Michelle. Do you think Chris Christie will be a first-rounder?   Rahm Emmanuel?   Hmmm, I may need to check out the up and coming State representatives to see if any of them are Congress material… I’m staying away from [c’mon, I’m not telling!] … Fantasy Elections are at my house the first Saturday in March.    Join me?