Grace&Power 10/22/04 2:49 PM Page C1 The Grace and Power of Civility LLEES S S S O O N N S S FFR R O O M M TTH H E E AAME R I C A N EEXXP P E E R R I I E E N N C C E E FFO O R R TTH H E E CCOOM M I I N N G G FFOOU U R R YYEEA A R R S S CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF THE PRESIDENCY DAVI D M.ABS H I R E Grace&Power 10/22/04 2:49 PM Page i THE GRA C E AN D POW E R OF CIV I L I T Y COM M I T M E N T AN D TOL E R A N C E IN TH E AME R I C A N EXP E R I E N C E BY DAVI D M. ABS H I R E ELECTION DAY EDITION, 2004 CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF THE PRESIDENCY 1020 19th Street, NW · Suite 250 Washington, DC 20036 202-872-9800 www.thePresidency.org Grace&Power 10/22/04 2:49 PM Page ii Copyright © by Fetzer Institute. All rights reserved. Essay copyright © 2004 by David M. Abshire. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or trans- mitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Fetzer Institute or David M. Abshire. This essay was originally published in a series sponsored by the Fetzer Institute and published by Jossey-Bass, Inc. Cover photo of Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, the father of civility. Photograph by Robert C. Lautman, courtesy of the Mount Vernon Ladies’Association. Printed in the United States of America CSP Special Edition Grace&Power 10/22/04 2:49 PM Page iii iii Appreciation The Center for the Study of the Presidency expresses its appreciation to the Fetzer Institute for supporting this initiative, and for permission to print this special edition which features Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, who is the symbol of civility in America. Grace&Power 10/22/04 2:49 PM Page 1 1 The Grace and Power of Civility Commitment and Tolerance in the American Experience HIS ESSAY DRAWS FROM both the great moments and the night- mares of the American experience. It tracks how two elements T of our political culture can appear to be contradictory and yet at the same time be recognized as major characteristics of the American experience. The elements to which I refer are a passionate, driven commitment to a cause or idea and the tradition of tolerance, compassion, and inclusiveness. I argue that in the great historical accomplishments of America, these apparent opposites—commitment and tolerance—are bridged by civility. Civility, as used here, is not simply following rules of eti- quette and decorum for the sake of tradition or in order to coat over any differences. In its deepest sense, civility means respect, listening, and dialogue. It does not mean watering down or giving up cherished principles. Indeed, civility has often been exercised in the American experience in order to move to the higher, common ground. In his writ- ings on civility, Stephen Carter reminds us of “two of the gifts that civility brings to our lives: first, it calls for us to sacrifice for others as we travel through life. And, second, it makes the ride tolerable.” In the American experience, civility has not always prevailed, and its role in our political culture cannot be taken for granted. Accordingly, we must review some of the nightmares of incivility in American history to warn of the severe national polarization that could paralyze us in the coming years. We must take lessons from the past to face such challenging issues as the global war on terrorism; conflict in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other parts of the turbulent Middle East; the threatened solvency of Social Security and Medicare; the need to reduce the looming national deficit; the K–12 crisis in public education; widespread anti-Americanism; and the erosion of character-based leadership in the United States in almost all walks of life: in the clergy, in our schools, in heads of business, and even in the presidency. If we can listen to each other with humility, the positive—almost sacred—accomplishments and qualities of the American experience can enrich and fortify us to live the fullness of the American dream. Grace&Power 10/22/04 2:49 PM Page 2 2 THE GRACE AND POWER OF CIVILITY The Public Climate: The Determined Choice of Trust over Cynicism A 2003 POLL BY THE PEW RESEARCH Center showed a nation “profound- ly polarized between two political camps that are virtually identical in size but inimical in their beliefs on virtually all major questions.” How has this come to pass? Why has a political void grown to the widest it has been since the Center began polling sixteen years ago despite the unity following the attacks of September 11, 2001? Why is our coun- try more polarized than ever and cooperation less and less common? Is it because the very fiber of our society—the institutions of gover- nance, the engines of the economy, civil society, and our concept of individualism—have been lost to partisan, economic, racial, and religious schisms? Certainly, at the time of this writing, we have faced one of the most contentious presidential campaigns in our history, and even members of Congress speak of their own legislative body as dysfunctional. But we must look beyond today’s events to understand this new age of incivility and disunity. Since the end of the Cold War and the emergence of the present state of world affairs, America has suffered from an identity crisis. Even in its moment of triumph as the world’s only superpower, the United States has at times floundered, realizing that global leadership requires certain commitments but remaining divided as to what those commitments should be. Often perceived as too unilateral and sometimes as a bully, the United States has wit- nessed rising anti-Americanism around the world and the slow defec- tion of some of its oldest allies. At home, the American people are more ideologically divided than they have been in decades. Pollsters now describe the Union in terms of “red and blue states.” Yet even in our present crisis of division, we see hope in a vision of the American identity that was never really lost, only misplaced in the tumultuous modern world. As I will recall several times in this essay, on September 11, 2001, we were a people united by our common beliefs—our need for security, our love of freedom, and our resolve to respond effectively to this outrageous crime, not just against America but against civilization itself. We remain bound, whether we show it or not, by certain principles that are elusive but powerful. On September 11, we remembered who we are and we chose civility. The images were powerful: the president at ground zero sur- rounded by first responders, then at the Islamic Center declaring Islam a religion of peace, then at an ecumenical service at the National Cathedral. Our nation was bound by a new connectivity. In the words of Alan Wolfe, we found ourselves “one nation, after all.” This memory shows how our nation can unite to achieve great things Grace&Power 10/22/04 2:49 PM Page 3 COMMITMENT AND TOLERANCE IN THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE 3 in a great moment. It is a tragedy that those few months of national, moral, and spiritual unity were so soon lost. Yet even in an increasingly uncivil Congress, there remain many examples of civility. For instance, the chair and ranking members of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees (Senators Richard Lugar, Joseph Biden, John Warner, and Carl Levin) are close and work together regularly on issues of common concern. It is worth noting that for several years, Senators Bill Frist and John Kerry have chaired the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Commission on Global AIDS, which improved President Bush’s legislative support. But clearly the cases and occasions are fewer than they could be, especially in the House of Representatives. Drawing on the “American experience,” which, then, is the true America? The America of division or the America of unity? The America of the red and blue states or the America symbolized in the harmony of red, white, and blue in its flag? The America of endless public and partisan warfare or the America of cooperation, civility, and common purpose? The America of many or the America of one? America’s History A decent respect for the opinions of mankind. —The Declaration of Independence INFACT,AMERICA HAS TWO HISTORIES, the history of commitment and the history of tolerance. The better-known version of commitment is the one written by the winners, those who through strength of arms, power of mind, and sureness of purpose wrenched thirteen colonies away from their imperial masters and forged a nation unique in the history of the world. This is the passionate America born of coura- geous principles—commitment to the fundamental principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This is the America of the revo- lution that defied King George III, the America of the Declaration of Independence, the America of the “greatest generation” that defeated Hitler’s tyranny, and, if I might add a personal note, the America that I experienced fighting for freedom in Korea.