ebrown was "rude". The manner in which he responded to the lady on the train fits within most western folks' notion of that term. Or, he could have picked his nose on the train and most folks would hold that as a public rudeness. If he had been riding on a train in certain Asian countries, a greater 'rudeness' would have been commited had ebrown displayed the soles of his feet. But he did do what he did on a train here.
But so what? What consequences fall out from that violation of 'proper social manners', as described in our particular cultural heritage? A lady may, in future, be a little less willing to speak to a stranger in a public setting about politics or any other subject. Others sitting nearbye might have been momentarily ill at ease. Neither of these are positive outcomes but how negative are they to our community's social well-being and social functioning?
Not very. Take New York. This is a city and culture broadly considered as something of an etiquette-free-zone in comparison to other western communities...loud, boisterous, competitive, etc. Yet it has generated many of the great American minds, an inordinate proportion of its great artists, musicians, writers, and it has been the fount from which much of America's political theory and structures have originated. Worker-safety laws and social programs were piloted here amid the free enterprise turmoil that made New York the financial capital of the world. Cops here say "phuck" a lot, loudly, joking and shooting the breeze with each other or with folks like me. Elsewhere, that's bad manners. It is a rudeness. Who here would be much surpised hearing two guys in public with one saying, "Your political ideas stink like the **** of a rhinocerous!" So what? What consequences fall out from the act or the statement or the violation of some notion of rudeness?
And what social consequences fall out from Rush Limbaugh?
Quote:There are more American Indians alive today than there were when Columbus arrived or at any other time in history. Does this sound like a record of Genocide?"
From Ann Coulter?
Quote:"Being nice to people is, in fact, one of the incidental tenets of Christianity (as opposed to other religions whose tenets are more along the lines of 'kill everyone who doesn't smell bad and doesn't answer to the name Mohammed')." - from her column (at townhall.com)March 4, 2004.
What social consequences fall out from Pat Buchanan's bigotry? What social consequences fall out from fomenting hatreds and furthering falsehoods? From promoting divisiveness for political gain or merely to sustain 'tradition' (which itself has replaced some earlier 'tradition')?
Imagine if instead of leaping on someone for farting in public or for being angry in tone in public, we lept on instances of ad hominem statements and attempted deceits?
Imagine if, for example, people like ticomaya concerned themselves less with 'proper' or politically correct notions of speech acts in public and concerned themselves more with the government he supports and excuses when they deliver humans for certain torture in Egypt of Syria or where American contractors do it themselves.
Imagine if 'compassion" really meant something in the real world.
