More than rhetoric must change
In retrospect, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and the foiled attack on President Donald Trump should be a heads-up to everyone that something must change, and it’s not just the way we talk to each other. We blame what is now referred to as “the rhetoric” for inciting violence, hatred, and nasty epithets that have no place in the hallowed halls of Congress. But it is increasingly louder and harsher, and seemingly tactical.
In the hours after the correspondents’ dinner chaos subsided and most attendees were safely away from the Hilton Hotel, everyone with a mic in front of them blamed hateful political rhetoric for the attempts on the president’s life and the inability to work together in Congress and everything else that’s wrong with our world. Members of Congress, talk show hosts, analysts, and regular people like us blamed extreme partisanship or unrecognized mental illness for the current state of the Union.
And that nasty talk and name-calling from both sides, including from the president’s lips, cannot explain why we Americans are plagued with toxic politics in a nation that is the defender of freedom and liberty around the world. There are people who want us to believe words will defeat us, and such words are certainly hurting our morale; but it’s the changing culture that is at the root of so much of our national discord. Are we all proud to be Americans in 2026?
Our society has evolved since the 1950s, many believe, in a negative way. Most Americans say there is less trust, less kindness, and less respect for authority. I agree. You can see that in some of our schools, even in the lower grades. Ask a teacher. It’s a disappointment. After the correspondents’ non-dinner, we sadly talked about three unsuccessful attempts on our president’s life in two years, while some even cracked jokes about the “miss.” It’s an awful sign of changing times. Our president himself makes more than a few comments that are better left unsaid. Everyone has a personal responsibility to reintroduce civility into public life and political leaders should take the lead by changing their ways.
We’re not doomed to a world of mad people, are we? We should acknowledge a changing culture but believe the pendulum can swing the other way. It’s something we should be talking about with friends and family, believing angry politics has gone too far with the increased number of disturbed people out there and more than a few unproductive loudmouths in Congress. We must lower the volume and bring down the temperature in political discourse. Is that possible or have we gone too far?
Optimistically, I believe civility will prevail as more of us are turned off by anger, name-calling, and insults. While we can do our part, it still starts at the top, and what we see from the top, on both sides of the aisle, is a fight for power and, of course, the endless Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Pat Wandling is a veteran journalist, formerly of The Bucks County Courier, and was a mainstay on WBCB for over 20 years.
