Dear Editor,
On Monday, Sept. 29, nearly simultaneous media coverage of two separate events broadcast nationwide caught my attention. During a procedural hearing in Utah, Judge Tony Graff, overseeing the criminal case against Charlie Kirk’s accused assassin, Tyler Robinson, offered comments in which he vowed to protect the defendant’s constitutional rights and urged both prosecutors and defense counsel to fulfill their roles “with integrity, civility, and diligence.”
He said that both the accused and the people of Utah deserve “fair and impartial administration of justice.”
Later, reporting shifted to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in a news conference addressing the deadly church attack in Grand Blanc. She asked people to “lower the temperature of rhetoric” while authorities continued their investigation of Sunday’s mass shooting.
I mention both because, in each case, an appeal for civility — the quality of exhibiting courteous and respectful behavior in social interactions — was made, even when someone disagrees.
Judge Graff urged participants in the legal proceedings to do the right thing: to remain uncompromising in adherence to moral principles. Whitmer asked the public to refrain from heated, inflammatory, and divisive language.
I was primarily struck by these two appeals, somewhat similar in their expressed desire for respect, decency, and decorum, because much of my weekend had been spent following television coverage of the 45th Ryder Cup match, a biennial golf tournament in which 12-member teams representing the United States and Europe compete in a match play format for bragging rights and a shiny gold trophy.
This year’s competition was held on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, NY. The outcome, in which the Europeans eventually held on to win 15-13, was overshadowed by coverage of rude, mean-spirited, and disgraceful crowd behavior directed at them.
Golf is generally considered a genteel and polite game, with many unwritten etiquette rules. This year, the home crowd was extremely loud and raucous.
The line was frequently crossed by personal insults, profanity, and noise-making when Europeans were entering their shot-making routines.
Once their team gained an early lead on Friday, emotions boiled over, and frustration and passion eventually resulted in confrontations. Representative television coverage throughout the match displayed boorish behavior by enough American fans that state police were deployed across the course to ensure crowd control.
The history of the Ryder Cup is marked by intense rivalry between the U.S. and Europe. Understandably, the event's inherent patriotic nature amplifies emotions. But this year, when passions devolved into hostility, what was televised around the world was disgraceful behavior reflecting poorly on all Americans.
Golf has long been said to help develop valuable character traits: integrity, sportsmanship, resilience, self-discipline, decision-making, patience, and humility. By remaining composed despite extenuating distractions, the European team claimed the Ryder Cup.
Rory McIlroy, perhaps the European team’s most emblematic member, said, “Golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week.”
How different could the world be if we all nurtured a greater level of respect for one another?
Peter Wibell, Rutledge