Cedar Valley News – October 14, 2025

Evan Swensen
October 14, 2025

When the Words Erode Trust
By: Teresa Nikas

We are living in an era when leaders don’t merely disagree — they vilify. This week alone, headlines are peppered with insults, profanity, and retaliatory name-calling from prominent public figures — not just beneath the dignity of office, but corrosive to the civic fabric.

In one case, a federal agency head publicly mocked Democratic lawmakers with crude “sombrero” jokes as the government shutdown drags on. In another, a former president launched a personal attack on Reverend Al Sharpton while calling on the FCC to target a news network’s license. The sharp tongue has become a weapon in public life, wielded without care for what it leaves behind.

Why It Matters in Cedar Valley

If our national leaders model contempt, what remains for the rest of us? If we accept coarse attacks as normal, our community conversations suffer—and our children learn that character is optional.
Cedar Valley is not insulated: when national discourse sours, trust erodes even here. People grow cynical, conversations shut down, and the assumption becomes that public service is a theater of insults rather than responsibility.

The Cost of Cruelty

Rhetoric doesn’t just hurt feelings — it reshapes how institutions function. In a democracy, we rely on norms: dignity in disagreement, respect for roles, humility before complexity. When those norms are abandoned, the governance machinery grinds, compromises collapse, and officials retreat into party silos. Our national life becomes a spectacle of anger, not a deliberation of shared purpose.

Moreover, the targets of these insults are often overshadowed by the insult itself. When a public official is demeaned, the issue at hand (policy, justice, fairness) is displaced by the heated exchange, and the public loses sight of what really needs attention.

Reclaiming Our Words

Cedar Valley needs to resist the allure of harsh language. We don’t have to be passive, but we can be intentional. Here’s how:

Emphasize substance over theatrics. When we speak or write — even locally — prioritize clarity, civility, and persuasion over flurry and insult.
Hold leaders accountable. It’s acceptable to critique public behavior, including language, not just policy decisions.
Teach the power of respect. In homes, churches, schools — show young people that disagreement doesn’t need degradation.
Model repair. When hurtful words slip out, offer sincere apology. That humility signals strength, not weakness.

We would do well to remember: words are public bridges or public wounds. May we choose them as builders, not breakers.

This editorial is part of the fictional Cedar Valley News series. While the people and town are fictional, the national events they reflect on are real.

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