'Civility' Sucks

Bernie Farber admonishes us to mind our manners and watch our words (because words can, you know, bruise peoples' sensitive feelings):

In his 1961 Inaugural Address, President John F. Kennedy admonished both sides of the Cold War divide that “civility is not a sign of weakness”, neither a flaw to be exploited nor a soft underbelly to be probed. Fifty years later we need to remind ourselves of this essential truth. Far from representing a sign of weakness, civility is an essential component of a healthy, vibrant democracy that encourages civic engagement and the frank discussion of opposing perspectives in the public square.

Whether spoken or keyed-in, words are powerful tools and can be used for good or ill. Sadly, the general decline in societal courtesy is sharply reflected in the diminution of civil discourse, which depends to a great extent on finding the balance between the fundamental right of free expression and the need for respect and, dare I say, graciousness, in dealing with one another on sensitive issues.

Now, vigourous debates on contentious issues benefit from hearing a wide variety of voices and views, irrespective of labels such as “moderate” and “extremist.” But the flip side of this is that such engagement must play by some basic rules so that everyone is working toward a shared purpose. As foreign conflicts increasingly play out on Canadian soil—the Middle East is one example but surely not the only one—we are drifting from the central proposition that while civility may emerge from dialogue, it is also a vital precondition for it.

The time has come to re-commit to a dialogue of decency, reject the poison pen, and reinforce our shared commitment to the integrity of the public square...

Not to be incivil or anything, but bollocks au gratin to that. Here's the last verse of a song I wrote a few weeks ago. I think it pretty much says it all re HRC-enforced "civility" (another word for censorship):

Free speech they say's the linchpin
Of a free society.
But there are those who loathe
When you speak so-called "blasphemy".
The censors say, "Please hold your tongue
And promise to be nice."
But politesse sans freedom
Comes at too damn high a price.
Yes, politesse sans freeedom
Comes at too damn high a price!