MUSINGS ON A SUNDAY NIGHT

Sometimes it seems the older a person gets the more cynical they become. Thus it is easy to say, when someone you consider a friend does something hurtful, well, they weren't really a friend. But that doesn't really deal with the underlying problem. Why did it happen, what could you have done to prevent it? Is it a meanness of spirit that sometimes seems to be uniquely American, or is it a part of the human psyche? I find myself asking these types of questions on a daily basis as I read comments left for public consumption. Why can't we be civil in our behavior toward each other? Why can't we be tolerant of people who are different from us? Why can't we accept other people's religions? Why can't we accept other peoples political beliefs without thinking that the other person is evil or crazy?