My mother always said there are two different sets of manners: One for home and one for everywhere else. I could pick up chicken with my fingers at home but used a fork and knife at a restaurant. I could wear a plaid shirt and striped shorts at home but I matched when I went to church. I could respond to any conversation at the breakfast table but I kept my opinions to myself when sitting with the adults at Grandma's Sunday dinner.
This is exponentially more important when waiting for a news segment to start no matter how close you are to the interviewer. It's hard to believe Jesse Jackson's mother didn't teach him that.
That sounds harsh - even to me. His mother probably did. What may have happened is Jackson became so insulated he forgot. It's a dangerous place as he has learned to his chagrin. I do not care about his opinions or his language. He's entitled to them. It is still America.
There are a couple lessons in this debacle. One is that outside our homes we are always on. Even social networking requires better manners than what might happen face to face. The second is the more you have to lose the more you will lose!
Don't let the virtual world lull you into complacency. My mother also always said a person's reputation took years to build and seconds to lose.
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