If we have lost the ability to debate in a civil manner, then our society has lost its ability to live up to one of President John F. Kennedy’s best statements, “Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man.

And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings.”

Over the past months, I have covered some of the area’s councils, boards and committees, and in some rare cases, it is my opinion that we as a community have lost the talent of civil debate.

Some of our elected officials have lost the respect that comes with a certain elected position. Some of our elected officials use phrases like,  “with no disrespect” before absolutely disrespecting the person right in front of them.

The normal rituals and guidelines put in place to manage meetings are trampled on and meetings that should have some set of decorum, quickly find themselves spiraling out of control.

I understand politics.

And I understand there are those who strive to collect every political point they can whtile some particular residents are in the audience, or the proceedings are broadcast across the radio.

That’s human nature and politics is a game played long before Brutus betrayed Caesar.

Next year — 2012 — is an even-numbered year and what that means is that it is an election year, which means government from the local level to the federal level will be mired in political hand wrestling and off-handed comments.

There would be some who would demand I name names, or cast blame on those who I believe have snarled the governmental process in the area. I won’t. That’s not my job.

Despite my opinions, it is my job to cover these meetings objectively and report the news that happens in these meetings, not the circus stunts.

What I will say is that there is plenty of blame to go around and plenty of blame to be shared by those in office and those in the community.

Until we can sit down and have honest, civil debate in our hometowns our man-made problems will remain because we have made a decision not to do what is right.