Our form of government requires much of its citizens—to reap the promise of our democratic ideals, we are called upon to engage and collaborate, and to do so in a civil manner. Law Day provides us with a special opportunity to consider those and other virtues more attentively, to reflect on our history and refine what we mean when we refer to these concepts, to recommit to shared values and prevent the erosion of their meaning.

When we speak of "civility," for example, we may bring to mind particular norms and values, but the word itself is subjective; the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "civility" as "civilized conduct" or "a polite act or expression." "Civilized" is defined as "characteristic of a state of civilization," and "civilization," in turn, offers a few more interpretive options, including "a relatively high level of cultural and technological development," "a refinement of thought, manners, or taste," or "a situation of urban comfort." One alternative definition of "civilization" is "the culture characteristic of a particular time or place." One may say that civility is in the eye of the beholder. Looking back at our history, a clear-eyed view requires us to acknowledge that many ugly decisions were made by way of polite acts and expressions, and many forms of lawful discrimination were enforced in keeping with the culture characteristic of a particular time or place.