Whatever happened to fair dealing
And pure ethics
And nice manners?
Whatever happened to ‘Please may I’
And ‘Yes thank you’
And ‘How charming?’
Why is it everyone now is a pain in the a**?
Whatever happened to class?
Nobody’s got no class!

This song, from the show “Chicago” [the stage production, not the movie] has been rattling around in my head ever since last Wednesday evening.  Like many of you I was firmly planted on the sofa at 7:00 PM to hear the President’s address on health care to the Nation and a joint session of Congress.

As always, everyone present seemed to be gracious and respectful as the President entered the chamber. Even after the President began to speak the members of Congress, guests and those in the gallery tended to applaud or stand and applaud at the items they endorse and sit quietly at those they don’t. This is what I remember of presidential addresses going back as far as Richard Nixon. I wasn’t old enough to vote then, but I do remember watching television.

It seems that over the past twenty years or so we’ve had a steady decline in respect, decorum and just plain good manners. It’s been eroding away at an ever-increasing pace and now, with the assistance of a rapper’s well-televised rudeness¹ and congressman’s shout of, “you lie!” another crippling blow has been dealt to it. Are we on a path towards a complete loss of respectful discourse? Or worse, the loss of respect all together?

Last month I had an opportunity to attend the Dallas Regional Chamber’s 2009 Congressional Forum. The forum featured four U.S. Representatives from North Texas; Hon. Ralph Hall, Hon. Joe Barton, Hon. Eddie Bernice Johnson and Hon. Pete Sessions. Yes, three male republicans and one female democrat; it was hardly fair to the three men! Once the event ended Representatives Hall and Barton seemed to vanish into thin air. Rep. Sessions and Johnson stayed to press the flesh a bit. I happen to live in Pete Sessions’ district, so I wanted to meet him. I didn’t vote for him and god knows we don’t agree on a whole lot of issues. Still, he was elected to represent the entire district, including me, so I wanted to meet him.

I could have marched right up to him, called him a colorful name and/or spit in his face. Besides being arrested I would have achieved no more than getting my name in the newspaper and giving fodder to everyone who has negative views of the GLBT community, ‘There goes those crazy gays!’ Instead, I gave him my business card (hoping that he’d give it to a staffer and say, ‘what the hell is a GLBT chamber?’), told him that I live in his district, shook his hand and told him that I appreciate his work. I didn’t say that I agree with it, but I can appreciate it.

The point isn’t that I was raised right, although I was. I think we were all raised right but we’ve been sucked into the Roseanne Barr (remember her) world of talking without a filter (also known as talking without thinking), the Jerry Springer any idiot can be on television mindset, and the reality TV rule that the more outrageous or hateful you are the more fame you can garner.

It’s funny, people will show the greatest respect for symbols, like placing their hand over their heart for the National Anthem.² But they have little to no respect for people.

Or maybe we’ve just lost respect for ourselves.

What a shame
What a shame
What became of class?

__________________________

¹ Kudos to Beyonce. She was raised right too!

² By the way, you don’t place your hand over your heart for the National Anthem. You take off your hat for the National Anthem and place your hand over your heart for the Pledge of Allegiance. Spread the word.

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