It’s not okay to do your own thing. In your own home, maybe. In the guise of freedom, “anything goes” has gotten out of hand. Why would anyone think it is okay to talk loudly on your cellphone in a public place? To play music so loudly that others must endure it? It’s inconsiderate and self-centered. Why is wearing the least amount of clothing in public, say, outside of the beach, okay? Why does the public need to see one’s underwear beneath his/her sagging pants? Why is using profanity in any setting and especially without regard to the presence of very young children, okay? We are too often behaving without sensitivity to our surroundings and to others. Can it rightly be called an “I don’t care attitude”? Is it making us as a community and as a nation better? Is it healthy?
While self-interest without regard for others is expedient, it does not usually add value to a community. Invariably, someone is upset, disturbed, repulsed even. Mighty efforts are in force to control if a woman can decide whether to have an abortion. There is talk of posting the ten commandments in public schools. To what end? What about a national consensus of what our American values are? “Land of the Free, Home of the Brave” leaves too much room for interpretation. Can we have a national discussion about public civility?
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