Last year, I wrote an “Editor’s View” entitled “Where have courtesy and civility gone?”
I lamented the fact that lack of courtesy seems to be escalating in our country. I mentioned the fact that people rarely opened doors for my mother-in-law who used a walker.
This still seems to happen. There are a few nice people who will hold doors for persons with canes, walkers, or wheelchairs. But many people just ignore these disabled and elderly persons and only pay attention to themselves.
MADISON — With stories of workplace and school shootings making up the latest news headlines, the task of learning how to protect one’s self and save lives is gaining importance.
Staff members from the Diocese of Madison and other organizations in the Holy Name Heights building recently took part in active shooter training in order to be prepared to react to an event, if it should happen.
In the later years of her life, my mother-in-law used a walker. Of course, it slowed down her pace and also made it difficult for her to open doors unless they had a handicapped door opener.
When I was with her, I could help her navigate doors. Sometimes she got ahead of me, so I wasn’t there when she reached the door.
I was unpleasantly surprised when other people would just walk through the door without offering to help her. She said this was a common occurrence.
This lack of courtesy is something that seems to be escalating in our country. People seem to think only about themselves.
Advocating for the Catholic Conference requires us to articulate the principles of Catholic social teaching in what a lawyer-friend of mine likes to call the “jury English” of everyday conversation.
Relating the Principle of Solidarity to current policy issues is one example of this.
The Principle of Solidarity flows from the truth that human beings created in the image of a Triune God are social by nature. As a result, “we are all in this together.”
