Can you imagine any admirable leader making this kind of bar-room brawl gesture?

Sometimes it feels like we are a whole nation of ill-behaved babies from the way we treat our friends and neighbors to the way we view other countries and cultures. It seems to me that part of being an adult is being thoughtful, taking others into consideration and not acting rashly. Or at least, that's what I used to think. I'll have to redefine that as being a good person. Sadly, being a good person is not the same as being an adult.

Being good can be difficult and we are a country addicted to ease and convenience. We are addicted to "saving face," to not looking at our mistakes or at the darker side of our behavior. I see this not only in our leaders but in people I know. I see it in the folks stumbling out of the bars at night and in myself.

I wonder if there is a way to reverse this trend, to do the more difficult thing and grow up.