Lesson 4: Accountability

During this series, readers reported on the loss of civility in driving, sports, and especially, social media. Last week I focused on public and private conversation.

All observed that a change had taken place. There is less decency today than there used to be. We have to ask what happened.

My personal experience attributes it to a loss of accountability. When I was young, I was constantly impressed by the responsibility for my actions. My relationship with God was bound up with doing what I was supposed to do. I felt I was constantly being watched by God.

In truth, I was being watched… by my neighbors. My neighborhood was the center of my existence. If I did not act decently, my parents would soon hear about it.

And the place I would probably be asked to explain myself was at the dinner table. All meals were eaten together as a family, with good manners expected of all. The conversation revolved around what we had been doing and what we intended to do.

I was constantly aware I was accountable for my actions, as was everyone else in our community. Those with whom we associated face-to-face today would be those who shared our lives tomorrow,

Most of that is gone in our day. Not many people worry about doing God’s will, which they think would oppress their freedom. Hardly anyone really knows what their neighbors are doing, if even their names. Few families eat a meal together even once in the entire week. There is a loss of community and with it a loss of accountability.

People call for transparency in our day because so much goes on anonymously. We put up with ICE agents wearing masks, social media users hiding their identities, and the designers of the artificial intelligence algorithms remaining undisclosed.

The most damaging example I can offer is the war in Iran. Without any question, the most uncivil action is killing another human. We have learned to do that anonymously by attacking with drones, rockets, and airplanes. We kill, never having to face our enemy. Those pulling the trigger would seem to be playing video games. As a result, opposition to the war centers on complaining about the price of gas, not deploring the murder of people and the destruction of their resources. We go on living as if nothing has changed.

There are many magnificent advantages in modern living, but the loss of accountability is a danger threatening our humanity. We should be asking how we regain our sense of responsibility.

Tags: Accountability and Modern Warfare, Anonymity and Accountability, Anonymity and Social Media. Loss of Decency, Civility and Christianity, Courtesy and Respect, Loss of Accountability, Radical Individualism and Civility, The Present Need for Civility, Transparency and Accountability, Washington’s Rules of Civility