On being polite

Many have observed certain delicious ironies in regard to the need to learn again how to be polite. From the mouths of our politicians is one such and seems a bit rich. While the behaviour in Parliament is not to be taken as the be all and end all of such, it nevertheless gives the lie to the fact that these people are really to be taken seriously when they are advocating "politeness".
I do have some sympathy with the sentiment.
Politeness is an indication of the attention to detail which intimates the sort of regard in which people are held per se. So it is some what interesting to hear one commentator describing Parliamentary behaviour as essentially "humiliation". I would agree.
All of them are only interested in making the others look stupid, and themselves and their own look good. Good debating is one thing but humiliation is another.

Another comment was to do with that oft misused word: "chivalry". By this is often meant the sort of deference to women that was typical in, say, the 50s. Well, to that I can only say...you can't have it both ways. You can't have equality and deference to your fair sex.
Again I have some sympathy a friend who had 2 daughters said to me (who has 3), I am always interested by the way you open the car doors for your wife and your girls. My explanation was that I reckon that if I treat them well then they will at least expect any young man to treat them as well as their Dad does. And I simply cannot stop myself walking on the outside when promenading...better I get splashed by the Hansom cab than they do!!

Reflecting on such things a prominent educator notes that the promulgation of edicts on behaviour does little to effect the same. That pompous sentence might mean....Reports from Canberra don't actually change behaviour!! We need to see our leaders actually practising "good manners" as a way of life, and not simply pontificating on the subject. This extends, for me, to ensuring that visitors to our shores, no matter how illegal they may be perceived to be should be treated with dignity and not shunted off to the farthest possible dark corner...but that's another issue.