If you are bothered by how "uncivil" the left has become ...

I am going to go out on a limb then and guess that you view the world through the Fox News filter.

Because, while Fox is doing all sorts of hand-wringing over SHS getting asked to leave a restaurant, or liberals not "being nice" to Alan Derschowitz ; or perhaps more saliently, some a-hole throwing a drink on a  Trump supporter at Wattaburger, it's not as if this isn't the kind of thing we have had all along.   

You have the impression that the "left" has suddenly become uncivil, unlike the right; you are in fact being fed a narrative supported mainly by anecdotes. 

I could play it the other way.  Indeed, I could suggest just the opposite based on the following "evidence"






D

But of course, I suppose we could trade videos of the other side's incivility all day, and it would miss the point.

There are always a-holes. It is too easy and intellectually lazy to observe an asshole who has views of the "other team" and conclude "... must be them". And from there feel reinforced in your own moral superiority. To be clear, there are things where the two sides are taking very different moral stances. And I have no issue calling out shitty values where and when they are exhibited (like separating families because it will be a "strong deterrent" and then holding children hostage to your legislative agenda). But that is not the same as attacking and berating someone you don't even know just because you are making assumptions about them based on their appearance (including their MAGA hat). And violence is never OK.

But, the behavior of some knuckle-heads from either side is one thing, the behavior of the LEADERSHIP is another. We have every right to expect a certain level of civility from our leaders. But, civility implies a certain level of trust between both sides. That is, things that both sides can reasonably expect from the other. And trust that they will deliver. One of those is the trust the the other side will not commit acts of violence. But there are some other things that are expected here: and these are only necessary, not sufficient.

1) That leaders should not look you in the eye and bald faced lie to you. But this is something Trump and is spokespeople do almost daily. There cannot be civil discourse if one side abandons any regard for a good faith argument. You can't tweet this one day:

HOUSE REPUBLICANS SHOULD PASS THE STRONG BUT FAIR IMMIGRATION BILL, KNOWN AS GOODLATTE II, IN THEIR AFTERNOON VOTE TODAY, EVEN THOUGH THE DEMS WON’T LET IT PASS IN THE SENATE. PASSAGE WILL SHOW THAT WE WANT STRONG BORDERS & SECURITY WHILE THE DEMS WANT OPEN BORDERS = CRIME. WIN!

and three days later this:

never pushed the Republicans in the House to vote for the Immigration Bill, either GOODLATTE 1 or 2, because it could never have gotten enough Democrats as long as there is the 60 vote threshold. I released many prior to the vote knowing we need more Republicans to win in Nov.

And then have SHS trot out and say the second tweet wasn't false. Sadly, this is pretty much "normal" with this POTUS (and I could easily come up with literally dozens of bald faced lies told by Trump and then dutifully defended by his people).

These bald faced lies are insulting to me and every other person with an IQ above 50. And this complete disregard for honesty is EXTREMELY uncivil. It's the equivalent of someone caught red handed saying, "I didn't do it". I fucking watched you! And you know I watched you. So, what the FUCK?

2) Civility would also mean that leaders would honor the political debate without resorting to grade school level name calling. "Lying Ted", "Crooked Hilary", "Little Ricky", "Pocahontas", "Crazy Bernie",etc. This is again showing nothing but contempt for civility and the concept of civil discourse.

3) Civility would imply that leaders would avoid using racist and dehumanizing terms like "Animals", "Breeding", "Infestation", etc."

My point is the Trump debased the level of civil discourse from the day he announced - "...they're sending their rapists, murders and drug dealers.... some of them, I suppose, are decent people...". So, if you support Trump, and have just discovered the need for civility (but only on the part of "the left"), get a mirror.