Keeping it civil in Sisters

We have just suffered through the most negative and, likely, the most polarized presidential campaign in living memory.

Regardless of our political leanings, many of us were thoroughly disappointed with the angry accusations, the incivility, and the bitter, personalized nature of the campaign.

Sadly, the level of acrimony during and after the campaign has spread to other public and private places, including our schools.

Even families have experienced bitter divisions because some members supported one candidate while the rest supported another.

Friends, both local and outside Sisters, who are members of threatened minority groups, have stated that they are frightened and uncertain about their future in America.

We have considerable clout in what happens in our community, however. The positive culture that has long been present in our community is definitely at risk in the current toxic atmosphere that has permeated our country. We have influence as individuals, but we are much stronger when we come together in a common purpose.

For the last year, the Citizens4Community group has been raising awareness of the importance of maintaining civility as we deal with the many difficult and sometimes contentious issues in our community. The introduction of the 9 tools of Speak Your Peace has been well received. They are important aspects of how each of us can, by practicing those principles, make our own individual contribution to maintaining a civil environment in Sisters Country. Like the flu vaccine, which provides protection from the annual flu outbreaks, practicing civility serves as the vaccine for disrespect and divisiveness in a community.

One of the issues that has been raised as we have promoted civility in Sisters is that having to be respectful encroaches on our First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

We all want to be respected.

If a person is in fear that he will be personally attacked if he speaks his mind respectfully, his sense of personal freedom of speech is negatively affected.

Of course, some people are not put off by a conversation that becomes hostile and may even relish that.

But when people choose to remain quiet, we lose important ideas from these citizens.

In a disrespectful environment, residents become less likely to participate in public discussions and organizations, and we lose their valuable participation.

Unless we continue a proactive effort to maintain civility, the toxicity of the national and state conversation will likely further invade our community.

In addition to making sure that we practice civility daily as individuals, it is also important that we learn how to speak up when we witness an act of incivility or bullying. All it takes is one or two people to speak up in a respectful way and state their discomfort with the tone of the dialogue to change the atmosphere. And this is a skill that each of us can learn with practice.

We in Sisters Country have at our disposal a large group of concerned citizens and others who value the friendly, connected, involved, and committed nature of our special community. It is something that, once lost, is difficult to get back. Let's all work individually and together to keep that part of Sisters the way we want it - a way that includes all of us.

Kent Neff is a board member of Citizens4Community