Societies tend to aspire to become better over time. Blame it on evolution. Yet, all societies risk going in the other direction. Blame this on us.

I once worked for a CEO whose executives criticized him because his language, they feared, was too fancy for all employees to understand. He explained that leadership is about setting standards that inspire others, even in language. This is one direction.

Now consider the First Amendment, which laudably protects free speech. Sadly, it also protects hurtful and hateful speech, as Chief Justice Roberts once pointed out.

Surely, it is an abuse of the intention of freedom of speech to protect every insane uttering. If this continues unchecked, then there is a risk that we all will ultimately communicate at the level of the meanest muttering.

When a civilized society fails to frown on even simple rudeness, well, that is evolution in the wrong direction.

Welcome to my side of the nonsense divide.