'Climate of Hate' Transformed by Use of 'Please'

BERKLEY, CA - In the wake of the Tucson tragedy, a surprising report has surfaced demonstrating how overheated political speech could be transformed into impersonal criticism by the power of 'please.' Conducted by sociology Professor Daniel Rath, the 2010 study divided student volunteers into two 'camps' and placed them in a room. Camp A was instructed to create a climate of hate by using phrases such as 'tax cuts' and 'Obamacare.' Camp B was instructed to respond with violent speech that included the word 'please,' as in 'Will someone please shoot those hate-filled Camp A idiots?' In addition, Camp B was encouraged to invoke unpleasant natural forces as in, 'I don't want anyone shot in Camp A, but I hope they all please get cancer and die slowly.'

Said Professor Rath, "Clearly, an opposition to hate can not, by definition, be hate provided it contains politeness and an appeal to action by third parties. Thus Camp B's rhetoric becomes insightful criticism and elevates their words into a higher, more thoughtful plane." Professor Rath hoped his study would be used to further decency in discourse and quench inflammatory political rhetoric. "The only way to return civility to this country is to silence fat, drug-addict, racists like Rush Limbaugh. Will someone please give him throat cancer?"(Image: goodlookingcorgi.blogspot.com and scholastic.com)