Sense of Decency

By JIM McKEEVER

My latest idea to do some good and ward off insanity at the same time is to make copies of powerful essays I read and put them on a small table at the curb in front of our house.

We live on a relatively quiet suburban street, with fairly regular vehicle traffic and a healthy number of neighbors who walk their dogs or stroll to or from the public library and nearby parks.

I’ve put my idea into action three times this summer, featuring essays by the Rev. Cameron Trimble and Shanley Hurt, and quotes from a lecture by Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative.

To draw attention to the table, I post “Take One” signs facing traffic in each direction, along with a sign on the front of the table with a cryptic message to catch the eye of drivers and slower pedestrians alike.

For the Rev. Trimble’s Substack reflection titled, “What We Mean When We Call Someone ‘Illegal’,” my sign at the front of the table read, “Are you ‘Legal’?” 

For Ms. Hurt’s essay, “Instructions for the Future: How to Keep a Conscience in a Culture of Cruelty,” my sign read, “Free Empathy!” 

I did wonder however, that someone would see my sign and think, “Who is Empathy and what did she do?”

The reactions by passersby, both in vehicles and on foot (and on bicycle) have been interesting, to say the least. If I’m home and manage to look out the front window at just the right time, I’ll see drivers slow down to look at the table, perhaps wondering what freebies I’m unloading. I saw one woman pull over, get out and read a copy for a moment and take it with her. I’ll also see passersby on foot stopping to peruse a copy, sometimes leaving it behind.

Even young kids on bicycles will stop (thankfully, youthful curiosity not requiring an app hasn’t died!). Once, what I think was a brother-sister duo of maybe 8 and 10 years old pulled up to take a look. The younger of the two read for a moment and began to take one, but his older sister said something to him and he put it back.

The best reaction so far happened last Saturday. I had been gone for several hours, and when I pulled onto my street I saw something had been added to the table.

A vase of flowers.

And someone had scribbled a note on one copy of Rev. Trimble’s essay, “Nice read!” I assume the note and flowers came from the same person, but perhaps not. 

That’s a huge part of the appeal of this exercise, the mystery of it all. It’s the same with writing blog posts like this one, or giving a speech, or preaching at a church. You never know what the audience takes away from your words, your ideas, your passion — or if they’re even paying attention.

I’m rather enjoying this campaign, this “new, old-fashioned way” to enlighten people, broaden their perspectives and yes, maybe just maybe … persuade a certain demographic that what they’ve been spoon-fed by certain people in power is largely inaccurate. 

And that maybe the cruelty in their hearts has no place being there. When was the last time anyone left a vase of flowers outside of Alex Jones’ house? 

Jim McKeever is a co-founder of Sense of Decency, and wonders why so many Americans do not have it.