Letter to the Editor, Feb. 7

Civility needed for election

“A house divided against itself cannot stand …” We have all heard this famous excerpt from Abraham Lincoln’s 1858 speech. And while we all know what it meant from a historical standpoint, it still presents a relevant lesson for all of us today.

How do Lincoln’s words relate to us here in Boulder City? Think back to the last election cycle. When I do, I shudder when I think about how mean and nasty many of our finest citizens behaved during that critical time in our city. Neighbor vs. neighbor. False accusations. A near moblike atmosphere in many of our City Council meetings. Name-calling. Bullying. Yes, I said the “B” word. If our children had behaved the way so many of our citizens behaved in that cycle, we would have sent them to their rooms for a timeout.

In contrast, I found the opinion editorial (Blend of old, new good for city) in this newspaper’s edition dated Jan. 31 to be quite refreshing and delightful. The article rightfully highlighted the positive viewpoints of our two little new communities of The Cottages and Storybook Homes — but what impacted me the most was the last paragraph: “There is no reason why the city can’t mix in some new things with the old. … The key is finding the right balance. It would appear that’s exactly what is happening here.”

So with the election cycle once again underway, can we promise each other that we can put “civil” back into “civics” and actually all act like we are proud to be citizens of this wonderful community called Boulder City? Let’s bring “civility” back to our civic discourse. We can disagree but not be disagreeable. We can have intelligent measured discussion. We can compromise. We owe it to each other.

Kevin O’Keefe