James at Knowtown tells the sad story of how his son is learning the fact that different people have different political opinions and that these opinions elicit rather passionate reactions.
Now, I disagree with James. This was not an introduction to American politics. This was an introduction to human nature everywhere. Incivility and rude behavior, regrettably, knows no political party nor border, nor age group, nor religion.
My grandpa (my mom’s dad) was a very noted leader of the Liberal Party. My dad was, for a long time under the Stroessner dictatorship, a high-profile academic in our National University and therefore he had to be a card-carrying member of the Colorado (Republican) Party, and he endorsed the party line even though he was not an activist. However, he and my mom got along. He and my grandpa got along. The Minister of the Interior during the Stroessner years lived across the street from my grandpa’s place, and when my grandpa passed away on Nov 21, 1973, he showed up to pay his respect to his late neighbor. But this happened in the same land where people fought bitter civil wars and countless revolutions, killing each other for their party allegiances.
“The heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil” (Ecclesiastes 8:11b).
Indeed, civility and noble behavior are what puts one in the elite above the rabble. Most people are capable of it at times, but few make it their habit. “Narrow is the path…”