Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 07:57:57 EDT

From: Julia Cochran COCPROFS[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UGA.CC.UGA.EDU

Subject: Re: thank you . . . thank you



On Wed, 22 Oct 1997 20:17:33 -0400 MELISSA S. SMITH said:



Can you honestly say that you haven't noticed a decrease in politeness in

the last 20, 10, even 5 years? People do not speak kindly. They no

longer use words that show their respect for people. For example, your

response seemed kind of impolite to me. I know that you had to have

noticed the change in people today. There is no formality. There is no

polite small talk amongst strangers anymore. There is no one asking

stranger how they are doing that day. How could you not notice these

things. As for a time frame, pick a date and look at the decrease of

pleasant ness from there on.



Of course, were you to come to Guyton, Georgia, most of the folks would agree

with you. They would agree that the earlier response that you mentioned did

indeed have an impolite tone (and I would agree). They'd also agree that folks

just aren't as polite any more. I, on the other hand, who moved here to Guyton

from a large university environment, am convinced that I have landed somewhere

in the past, in the very heart of gentility. It all depends on where you were

before.