As we commemorated Veterans Day I was asked by many people if I served in the military. When I responded “yes,” I was thanked for my service repeatedly, far more than I ever recall this happening in prior years.

I find irony in this resurgence of appreciation for military veterans at the same time the president can neither seem to thank anyone nor appreciate what they do for our country. In the same week citizens were thanking their veterans, the president was denigrating everyone from his cabinet member, to the Pittsburgh synagogue congregation, to the California wildfire management team.

While I do not advocate stopping the many gestures of thanks for our veterans – past and present – I put forward a suggestion: At the same time we thank our vets, we make a commitment to stop the vitriolic and hateful speech that has become so pervasive in our society very recently. Much like the #MeToo movement, let’s start a #Civility movement. There is power in numbers. To quote Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

The “Thank a Vet” movement went nationwide; let’s have Maine lead the nation in bringing back civility.

Carmen Melito

Yarmouth