O’Reilly Calls Civility Project ‘Dopey’

Civility Project Asks Members of Congress and Governors to Sign Civility Pledge - So Far Only One has Agreed to be Civil

ATLANTA, July 9, 2010—The July and November election cycles are quickly approaching and CivilityProject.org is calling on our elected officials to avoid negative mud-slinging campaigns and instead debate on the strength of the issues.

Politicians aren't the only ones having a hard time understanding the need for civility.  In an interview last night with Lanny Davis, co-founder of CivilityProject.org, host Bill O'Reilly repeatedly referred to the Civility Pledge as "dopey."

"The reason I would not sign it is because my opponent may be cutting my heart out and throwing dirt at me all day long," said O'Reilly during his interview with Davis.  "All you've got to do is look at what's going on in this country and see how dirty and nasty it is on both sides. And it's never going to change. It's going to get worse."

It is an attitude Davis and CivilityProject.org founder Mark DeMoss insist needs to change.  That's why DeMoss-a political conservative and evangelical Christian-and Davis-a political liberal of the Jewish faith-mailed a letter to every sitting governor and member of Congress asking for an on-the-record commitment to the Civility Pledge.  More than a month later only one Congressman has signed it.

"Given recent polls that show nearly three in four Americans believe politics have become too uncivil, I would have thought that more than one member of Congress would have been willing to pledge to be civil," said DeMoss. "We have actually set the bar pretty low with this pledge and so far, only Frank Wolf (R-Va) has cleared it."

If Americans are fed up with incivility in politics, as this study indicates, why are the people who represent them refusing to sign the civility pledge?

"I hope constituents will begin asking their senators, representatives and governors to sign this pledge," said DeMoss. "Otherwise, I would predict the largest bloc of disinterested voters ever this fall and in 2012."

A political odd couple of sorts, DeMoss and Davis launched CivilityProject.org in January 2009.  CivilityProject.org is a web-based movement promoting civility in public discourse-something that has been noticeably in short supply in the public square recently.  CivilityProject.org challenges all people, not just politicians, to bring back civility as a staple of American politics and life.

Results of the pledge mailing to governors, and members of Congress will be displayed on CivilityProject.org using an interactive U.S. map.  This user-friendly tool allows constituents and others to track commitments of political leaders nationwide and enable them to challenge those who have not signed the pledge.

In spite of his initial negativity on the subject, even Bill O'Reilly may be warming to the idea of civility.

"I applaud your noble intention, because I do think it's just totally out of control. I'll give you the last word on that," O'Reilly told Davis at the end of their engaging-and civil-interview.

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Quotes

Mark DeMoss, founder of CivilityProject.org

• "We've lost ability to win an argument, win a debate, on the strength of words and ideas, and now we judge them on the decibel count." (NBC News Dec. 29, 2009)  

• "I'd like to see us-on both sides of any issue-wage ideological battles with words and ideas, and not with volume and disruptive tactics and antics."  (NPR's Tell Me More Aug. 12, 2009)

• "It used to be that when children didn't get their way, they would throw a temper tantrum.  Now we are seeing adults behaving the same way.  That seems to be a troubling trend: If we don't get our way, we resort to crazy behavior." (The Washington Times, Sept. 15, 2009)

• "To me, civility has value not just in public life, but it also has value in my marriage, in dealing with my children, in my relationship with my employees, even when driving in traffic."  (NPR's Tell Me More Aug. 12, 2009)

• "I'd like to see us replace vicious attacks with vigorous and civil debates on ideas that will expedite solutions and restore respectability to the public square."

Lanny Davis, co-founder of CivilityProject.org

• "If we really want change, we have to find a way to express ourselves civilly." (NBC News Dec. 29, 2009)

• "We both think some of the name calling and personal attacks are inappropriate and contrary to American values. We also decry the nasty tone and offensive decibel level of strident voices on the left and right that demonize those with whom they disagree. Whatever happened to winning debates on the strength of ideas?"(The Washington Times, Jan. 18, 2009)
  

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About CivilityProject.org

CivilityProject.org is a voluntary grassroots movement of people from diverse backgrounds who agree that, at this critical time in America's history, solutions to our most pressing problems will be found only through a more civil exchange of ideas.  A web-based organization, CivilityProject.org seeks to promote more civility in public discourse.  It is independent of any political party or organization and neither solicits nor accepts contributions.

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