Washington knows that it is not safe to kick people who are down until you find out what their next stop will be.

Etiquette enables you to resolve conflict without just trading insults. Without etiquette, the irritations in modern life are so abrasive that you see people turning to the law to regulate everyday behavior. This frightens me; it's a major inroad on our basic freedoms.

Ideological differences are no excuse for rudeness.

When virtues are pointed out first, flaws seem less insurmountable.

Greece is a good place for rebirths.

GENTLE READER: You, sir, are an anarchist, and Miss Manners is frightened to have anything to do with you. It is true that questioning the table manners of others is rude. But to overthrow the accepted conventions of society, on the flimsy grounds that you have found them silly, inefficient and discomforting, is a dangerous step toward destroying civilization.

the obligation to express gratitude deepens with procrastination. The longer you wait, the more effusive must be the thanks.