Civility essential to governing America

After years of odious political behavior, it is time for elected officials to focus on governing with civility and respect. It is time to go back to acting for the common good.

Our country needs leaders, irrespective of party affiliation, to set aside differences and unite.

America is weakened by the continual onslaught of character assassinations, false accusations, misinformation and bitterness, which has been pervasive over the last dozen years.

We do not know who to trust or what is accurate and correct. Rather than seeking the truth, too many in the media hijack the facts to fit their narrative. That only stokes the flames of divisiveness.

If the rancid behavior continues, how will those we elected govern our country?

Four years ago, when Joe Biden was sworn in as president, he promised a return to civility and bipartisanship. Then he hastily issued a barrage of divisive executive orders. So much for unity.

Meanwhile Donald Trump never stopped his degrading name-calling and characterizations — behavior unbecoming a president.

So, as Thanksgiving approaches, we all need to pause and be thankful. We all need to remember what is best for our nations and figure out how we move forward with dignity and respect for one another.

It would be good to consider what a pair of Vietnam combat veterans recommend.

Ret. Adm. Jeremiah Denton was a Navy combat pilot shot down in 1965 over

North Vietnam. He was held captive seven years in the notorious Hanoi Hilton. When the prisoners were released in 1972 and flown to Clark Air Force base in the Philippines, Denton, as the senior ranking POW was the spokesperson.

They beat you with fists and fan belts, Denton recalled. They warmed you up and threatened you with death. Then they really got serious and gave you something called the rope trick (ropes connected to iron shackle arms and legs designed to dislocate and break bone).

A grateful Denton’s concluding words were “God Bless America!”

Denton was elected to the U.S. Senate (1981-87) and continued to preach the need to respectfully treat one another and remember “American soldiers and sailors” are the ones who fought and died for our freedoms.

In 1992, retired Lt. Gen. Harold Moore authored “We Were Soldiers Once… and Young” the basis for the Mel Gibson movie “We Were Once Soldiers!”

Moore led American forces in the week-long Battle of la Drang in South Vietnam.

In a 2008 open letter to America, Moore called upon the presidential candidates to sign a “Pledge of Scared Honor” to treat one another with “civility.”

Moore passionately believed that, as hotly contested as political campaigns become, dignity and respect must be maintained. Both Moore and Denton have passed away, but hopefully, their wisdom lives on.