For those of you who are history buffs, do you know which president was born on February 6th, 1911? That’s right, it’s Ronald Reagan. This year marks what would’ve been President Reagan’s 115th birthday. Now whatever you may think of him politically, that is beside the point. What can’t be denied is the civility he showed others, especially those with whom he disagreed. In a world marked by intense division and exhausting polarization, it would be a profitable endeavor to reflect on what we are missing as a nation, a world, and as one human race: civility.
To start us off—you’ll immediately recognize how far off we’ve fallen—listen to this story.
It was 1981 in Washington D.C. A calamity had just occurred: President Reagan was shot. He was rushed to the hospital and it was unknown whether or not he would make it. Thankfully, he did. The bullet missed his heart by mere inches. A few days later while the president was resting, Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, a fierce political opponent, came by and visited with Reagan. He was one of the first people to visit the president after the attempted assassination. O’Neill displayed real concern for the president in spite of their being on different ends of the political spectrum. This would later develop into an abiding friendship, which kicked off their famous “After 6 P:M” rule, where they would have a drink together after duking it out politically during the day.
Oh, how rare it is to hear of such a thing.
What the two men demonstrated is civility. They treated each other with respect despite their political disagreements. It’s a rather touching scene to picture. For too long, we have allowed ourselves to devolve into these tribalistic factions that refuse to engage with the other side. We must return to that culture of decency, where we are civil to one another and are able to disagree without treating it as a personal affront.
From left to right: Presidents George H.W. Bush, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter meet at the White House in 2009.
Here in Hawaii we recognize this as sharing the aloha spirit. What we say to one another, the manner in which we act, and how we view others are all very important. It necessitates the act of being mindful. Luckily, Saint Louis School’s motto–-Memor et Fidelis—perfectly encapsulates that. Our school community would stand to improve by being a little more mindful everyday about the words we use and the actions we commit. We can do this by always remembering that vulgarity is anathema to a Saint Louis gentleman. You can’t go wrong with good manners and some class.
While we can’t expect the coarseness that plagues the world to go away tomorrow—Rome wasn’t built in one day after all—we can all do our share in helping to minimize it. And a Saint Louis gentleman is well-positioned to do so: by being well-mannered, respectful, and doing what is right.
