EDITOR’S NOTE: The Pioneer shared the Peace & Civility Pledge in 2020; and earlier this year, Jim Heffernan came upon it again. The original author Barbara McLaughlin was inspired by Lianne Thompson’s recent “Attitude of Gratitude” article and shared this again. It is time for a Love revolution ….
By Barbara McLaughlin
Lianne Thompson’s recent post is spot on. How we interact with each other, especially with those that view life from a perspective different from ours, and digging for gold or rose bushes in every challenging situation, is what REALLY matters. And it inspired me to again share the Civility Pledge first published in 2020.
This Pledge is about your own vow to treat others with respect, even and especially with those with whom you disagree. It is about the right to our truth and to be who we are and the responsibility to allow others to have their truth as well. It says it is ok to disagree and that it is not ok to judge others harshly in our thoughts, words or actions because they are different than us.
It encourages us to strive for understanding, love and tolerance. Let us strive to keep the pledge from this day forward, though challenging it may be.
Rights and Non-rights of Civility
We believe we have the right to disagree with others.
We believe we do not have the right to use hateful, rude, angry and slanderous words and actions towards those with whom we disagree.
We believe we have the right to be angry or upset at situations we find distressing.
We believe we do not have the right to take our feelings out on others in destructive ways.
We believe we have the right to express our opinion.
We believe we do not have the right to use our opinions as weapons against those we perceive as our enemy because they don’t share our opinion.
We believe we have the right to be who we are.
We believe we do not have the right to judge others harshly in our thoughts, words or actions because they are different than us.
Civility Pledge
We pledge to:
- Speak and act with kindness and thoughtfulness.
- Seek understanding.
- Deal with our feelings in healthy ways.
- Speak our truth using “I statements”. (I feel…..,; this is how I see it…..; My experience tells me…..; this is what is true for me…..)
- Recognize there can be more than one truth in any situation.
- Listen to another with open ears and hearts.
- Seek solutions with consideration and collaboration.
- Walk away when the situation is too much to handle.
- Seek to understand someone who is different and try to see things from their point of view.
- Agree to disagree and leave it at that.
Click here to “sign up” for the Civility Pledge. When we first shared this, over 200 people signed up. Add your name to the list.
PLEASE SHARE; Feel free to print and display the Civility Pledge.