Where has all the civility gone?

We've got to believe even the most vehement opponents of President Obama, if attempting to be objective, would have to agree his recent health care reform address to Congress was presented in a moderate and reasonable manner.

That's quite a contrast to the outburst by Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina, an unprecedented heckling of the President in a Congressional chamber.

"You lie," he shouted, leaving even members of his own party startled.

Of course, as one might expect, President Obama did not "lie" in his statement that led to the heckling. The House bill on health care reform specifically states that illegal aliens will not be eligible under the program. As they say, you can look it up.

But what good are facts in the current atmosphere?

Yelling and heckling apparently pass for discussion in today's political world. The "performance" of so many attendees of town hall meetings has left us actually wondering about the future of our democracy. It is an inalienable right of each and every one of us to speak our mind on any issue in the public discourse -- that is not negotiable. But is it necessary to be so rude, so hateful, so uninformed?

In an interview Sunday night on national television, Obama blamed the "24-hour cable news" system for the current atmosphere. He said the most vociferous get the most attention.

"What I am trying to do is make civility interesting," the president said. Looking at the current arena, he's got a huge task ahead of him.

He noted specifically that the controversy over the Rep. Wilson outburst has, in itself, drawn attention away from the issues related to health care.

President Obama said the potential benefits from health care reform reach well beyond the specifics of that issue in itself, stressing the economic well-being of our society going forward depends upon reining in the current exorbitant costs.

We continue to be amazed at the number of citizens who berate "government-run health care" while being recipients of (you guessed it) government-run health care. The irony is stunning. Rep. Wilson himself and his entire extended family all participate in government-run health care. He just wants to make sure it is not offered to others.

President Obama started his address last week with several clear principles concerning his health reform plan, including restrictions on the manner in which insurance companies currently deny or drop coverage to millions when they (gasp) actually have medical problems. Surely, reasonable people can agree with much of what he said.

We do not expect everyone to support his plan totally, but it would be a step in the right direction for our elected representatives at least to enter into rational discussion and work out compromises where differences exist. Of course, we realize that isn't as exciting as wild claims about Communism and death panels. We yearn for the days when leaders of both parties would at least enter into reasonable and fruitful debate -- back when "compromise" was not considered a dirty word.

--REK