Be Civil, America! is a call to action. Rhetoric is dividing our country. The air waves are filled with vitriol and hate, while the country is filled with compassion and understanding. Why do we stand for it? Why do we sit back and let those who would tear us apart act as the voice of America? It is time for it to stop.

People from all parts of the political spectrum need to hold our politicians, our media and our friends accountable for their behavior. Civil Americans need to let themselves be known. Speak up. Tell your neighbor when his tone is counter-productive. Send a polite letter to your senators or representative. Let the media outlets know that hate and intolerance is not what this country wants to hear, watch or see publicized.

Where do we start?

We start where it is hardest: ourselves. We all have political, religious or philisophical ideals. Many of us like to express our ideals to those around us in the hopes of convincing them to think as we do. The problem arises when our ideals lead us to righteous anger. When we stop seeing our ideals for what they really are, our opinions, and start treating them as though they are infallible, we begin to see others as stupid, foolish or uninformed. These attitudes and the behaviors that manifest with them hurt those around us. They bring substantive discussion to a halt. Sometimes they even destroy relationships.

So, the first thing you can do is check yourself. Are you guilty of treating others views as somehow less valuable that your own? We all are sometimes. Be Civil, America! would like to challenge you to keep a close watch on how you talk and how you act toward those around you. Don't be afraid to disagree! Just do it without devaluing the ideas of others.

Show your support!

We can all hear the voices of negativity, but he voices of kindness and civility tend to speak a bit more quietly. So, don't be shy. Let people know how you feel about the growing trend toward incivility in America. Together, we can reverse the tide. Share our site on Facebook, Twitter, Digg, your blog or by good old fasioned word of mouth. We have even provided an easy way to tell others on the Be Civil! section to the right of the page. If you would like to support Be Civil, America! directly, you will soon be able to purchase t-shirts, mouse pads and a variety of other items at our store. You can even make a donation to further our ability to do outreach.

If you have a website or blog of your own, you can go the extra mile with a Be Civil! Badge just like the one you see on the bottom of this page. It is easy to install and we have provided instructions to get you started right here.