[Speed Gibson,
Thursday September 16, 2004 at 10:24am]
R e s p e c t
I have an almost forty year old copy of the Minneapolis Star my mother saved. I was mentioned in an article describing the introduction of a computer terminal at our high school. But what's really interesting now is the more formal, more polite, and more respectful style of the writing.
I wrote the Star Tribune four years ago when an article's first mention of then Vice President Albert Gore was simply "Gore". Vote for him? I never gave it a thought. I voted for George W. Bush. But Mr. Gore was then Vice President of the United States, and should have been formally identified as such at the beginning. After that, just "Gore" is passable, but Mr. Gore or candidate Gore would be preferable, showing proper respect for his office. That clearly wasn't a problem 40 years ago.
This past year, we had members of the Senate personally attacking Cheri Pierson Yecci, then Commissioner of Education. Senator Sandy Pappas and others wore "Mr. Yuck" style buttons with "Yucci" logos. Ms. Yecci has a PhD, and was quite possibly the most qualified ever to hold the position. They obviously could not confront her ideas in open, honest debate, so a smear followed by a clever late night ambush. This lack of basic respect would have been unthinkable 40 years ago.
Republicans, including me at times, have trouble with this, too. It has become fashionable even among leaders and reporters I respect to refer to the Democratic Party as the "Democrat" party. It sounds more harsh, I suppose. But the fact remains that the correct names are Democratic Party, Democratic National Committee, and Democratic Nominee; they are proper nouns. That "Republican" applies to both party and member means nothing as far as any other political party is concerned.
It really takes so little effort to take the high road of respect, even when undeserved. I think it ultimately pays dividends in clarifying arguments and winning voters.
I wrote the Star Tribune four years ago when an article's first mention of then Vice President Albert Gore was simply "Gore". Vote for him? I never gave it a thought. I voted for George W. Bush. But Mr. Gore was then Vice President of the United States, and should have been formally identified as such at the beginning. After that, just "Gore" is passable, but Mr. Gore or candidate Gore would be preferable, showing proper respect for his office. That clearly wasn't a problem 40 years ago.
This past year, we had members of the Senate personally attacking Cheri Pierson Yecci, then Commissioner of Education. Senator Sandy Pappas and others wore "Mr. Yuck" style buttons with "Yucci" logos. Ms. Yecci has a PhD, and was quite possibly the most qualified ever to hold the position. They obviously could not confront her ideas in open, honest debate, so a smear followed by a clever late night ambush. This lack of basic respect would have been unthinkable 40 years ago.
Republicans, including me at times, have trouble with this, too. It has become fashionable even among leaders and reporters I respect to refer to the Democratic Party as the "Democrat" party. It sounds more harsh, I suppose. But the fact remains that the correct names are Democratic Party, Democratic National Committee, and Democratic Nominee; they are proper nouns. That "Republican" applies to both party and member means nothing as far as any other political party is concerned.
It really takes so little effort to take the high road of respect, even when undeserved. I think it ultimately pays dividends in clarifying arguments and winning voters.