[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 117 (Thursday, July 12, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H6122]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        NATIONAL DAY OF CIVILITY

  (Mr. SMUCKER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. SMUCKER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the second annual 
National Day of Civility.
  This day, July 12, was chosen to mark a verse in Matthew's Gospel, 
chapter 7, verse 12: ``So in everything, do to others what you would 
have them do to you.''
  This, of course, is known as the Golden Rule. In fact, it was one of 
my mother's favorite Bible verses. She had her hands full, I am sure, 
raising 12 kids--I was number 10--and this was her favorite Bible verse 
that she would quote to us, the idea that everyone deserves your 
respect.
  Each one of us in this Chamber has the opportunity to live this rule, 
as do our constituents. We are privileged to live in the United States 
of America, the greatest country in the history of the world, due in 
large part to our system of government. It is really an experiment. It 
is a system of government designed to encourage debate, respect, and 
resolve differences and rely on citizen input.
  Today, there is an alarming decline in our public discourse. People 
can't even seem to talk to each other, can't come to the table, and 
can't hear each other out. We urgently need to reverse this trend.
  At the beginning of last year, members of the freshman class drafted 
and signed a commitment to civility, laying out our effort to make the 
government work more efficiently and effectively, help build consensus 
and restore public trust, and serve as a positive influence on society 
at large.
  On this National Day of Civility, let's renew our commitment to 
civility. Congress may not be able to change the state of public 
discourse, but we certainly can and should serve as an example to the 
American people.

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