JOSEPH BOTTUM: “Twitter and Facebook have been doing their best to convince us that incivility is the nation’s beloved pastime, finally overtaking Trivial Pursuit and post-Thanksgiving indigestion on the list of traditional favorites. But I’m still surprised when it manifests itself in personal settings.”

Plus: “I’ve treasured over the past few years a discussion I found on a leftist website about whether one should help victims of a car accident—if they were known to be Republicans. (After some back-and-forth, the commentators settled on an answer: No. Better they die.)”