Remember Civility and Civil Rights

Many recent reports make me wonder what we've descended to. A fellow was arrested because they THOUGHT he had protested against Romney in NH. Read about it in his blog here. A Ron Paul supporter was treated roughly by Gingrich security; read here. And some Ron Paul supporters have harassed a professor online (story here) . Haven't heard stories about such things on the Democratic side recently, but if they are happening, they're also shameful.

First, while there is a need for security, we should not permit security to become abusive. That's NOT what America is supposed to be about. Second, we simply MUST start respecting the right to protest and dissent. If the United States is to truly stand for freedom we have got to make sure we honor the Freedoms of Speech and Assembly among others. Third, we NEED to agree to disagree and not be so disagreeable in the meantime. We are going to have differences of opinion and it is crucial that we maintain some basic civility and respect for each other as we make our way through challenging times. We have got to remember two things: one: we're all in this together and two: the golden rule - treat others as we wish to be treated. MAYBE if we remember those things we can make some real progress.