Like many days, yesterday was a travel day for me. On my journey to be with family this Thanksgiving, I was struck by how NICE people were to their fellow travelers. A few examples: (1) people looked at each other and let mergers into the line to board my flight, where I often see people with eyes fixed straight ahead, seemingly intent on NOT letting people in front of them; (2) people helped each other with suitcases and "big steps" getting on and off buses and trams; (3) people in a crowded and disorganized queue at a fast food restaurant asked those around them if they were waiting to order before stepping forward to place their own orders. And last but not least, to the gentleman in row 17 of Delta Flight 1706 to Chicago, who exchanged seats to let a mother sit next to her daughter, you rock, dude. Well done.
I travel a lot, and I'm pretty sure what I experienced yesterday was an elevated level of niceness. Niceness to those around us, as simple as it sounds, reflects the core principle of our republic--the principle that each of us has worth, or value. That principle is the foundation for systems of justice and governance that are supposed to provide each of us equal treatment--treatment reflecting our equal value as human beings, regardless of wealth, health, occupation, race, gender, orientation or any of a multitude of other differences arising from circumstance or choice. I suspect that this is the way most of us have chosen to respond to the utter lack of niceness in our national political dialogue these days. I hope I am right. Because giving each other that basic R-E-S-P-E-C-T is one of the most important things we can all do to be accountable citizens.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I travel a lot, and I'm pretty sure what I experienced yesterday was an elevated level of niceness. Niceness to those around us, as simple as it sounds, reflects the core principle of our republic--the principle that each of us has worth, or value. That principle is the foundation for systems of justice and governance that are supposed to provide each of us equal treatment--treatment reflecting our equal value as human beings, regardless of wealth, health, occupation, race, gender, orientation or any of a multitude of other differences arising from circumstance or choice. I suspect that this is the way most of us have chosen to respond to the utter lack of niceness in our national political dialogue these days. I hope I am right. Because giving each other that basic R-E-S-P-E-C-T is one of the most important things we can all do to be accountable citizens.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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