When President Barack Obama traveled to Arizona on his reelection campaign he was met on the tarmac by Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer. According to interviews with Governor Brewer, upon her greeting the President he launched into his dismay over her book, Scorpions for Breakfast, and walked away while she was speaking to him. I agree with our Governor, illegal immigration on the Arizona border must be better addressed.
When President Barack Obama traveled to Arizona on his reelection campaign he was met on the tarmac by Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer. According to interviews with Governor Brewer, upon her greeting the President he launched into his dismay over her book, Scorpions for Breakfast, and walked away while she was speaking to him. I agree with our Governor, illegal immigration on the Arizona border must be better addressed.
Here’s the rub. I totally agree with what President Obama said in January 2011 after the horrible event in Tucson, “to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully” and to “remind ourselves of all the ways that our hopes and dreams are bound together.” His behavior with Governor Brewer, however and in my humble opinion, was neither Presidential nor does it show civility.
I think Jan Brewer should have tried to difuse the situation by using my favorite commuication technique, fogging, by saying, “You may be right. Would there be a time when we can discuss the intent for my book?” Plus finger pointing is never a good choice of gestures and does not promote civility.
No matter what the situation, everyone should choose civility especially when dealing with someone displaying toxic and difficult behavior. Nothing is solved when fingers are pointed and words shared that rile others. And the toxic people that continue to dredge up negativity need to have their behavior called!
Let’s bring back civility. “Civility costs nothing, and buys everything.” Mary Wortley Montagu