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SALT LAKE CITY -- Shrill and nasty or civil, welcoming and inclusive?
One group of community leaders has a clear vision of which type of public discourse they'd like to see.
To promote it, they've launched the Utah Civility and Community 2011 initiative. GOP Lt. Gov. Greg Bell and Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, a Democrat, joined forces in the effort.
"We've seen an acceleration of people being ill-tempered, of being rude, of being disrespectful," Bell said. "To the point that people are being politically penalized for simply being kind or reaching out to people of the other party. That's just not right."
"We hope as we get into some of these more political decisions, that we can model the kind of behavior that we all can aspire to," Becker said.
Whether the setting is City Hall, Capitol Hill, Washington DC, public rallies or the Internet, the pair is urging a more civil, welcoming, caring discourse.
This week witnessed some of the dignity and honor of public life, with Utah's governor being inaugurated and a peaceful transition of power in Washington, as a new Congress took the reins.
But it isn't always this way.
The group's DVD on "respectful discourse" includes some examples of problem behavior, like tennis star Serena Williams having a fit at a bad call, rapper Kanye West stealing the microphone from country singer Taylor Swift on a music awards show, GOP Rep. Joe Wilson shouting down the president during a speech to Congress, and a variety of U.S. House members screaming their views on the chamber floor.
"Number one, we have to speak with measured tones with great respect for people," Bell said.
"So how do we get there? We have to be willing to listen, truly listen to different perspectives," said Cynthia Buckingham, director of the Utah Humanities Council.
As part of the campaign, the group will be passing out cards that read "Civility, pass it on."
Both Becker and Bell say they're prepared to call out those who cross the line, even from their own party.
"Respectfully. And civilly," said Becker.
"I am prepared," Bell said. "I think we need to have rational voices speak up when people go too far."
Participation in this effort will take place with training and regional summits throughout 2011 in the public schools, civic centers, places of worship and public meetings.
Zions Bank is the community sponsor. For more information, go to the website www.utahcivility.org.
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Story compiled with contributions from John Daley, Marc Giauque and the DMC News Division.
