Most of us have temporarily forgotten in our 20-year history that the only expectation FGCU has is that we “practice civility and mutual respect in all deliberations.”

As FGCU employees, whether faculty, staff or student, most of us have also temporarily forgotten our sworn or affirmed oath to uphold the United States Constitution and the Florida Constitution.

Perhaps more importantly during our temporary forgetfulness, most of us have failed to remember that every state constitution in the United States of America has, in its preamble, a reverence to a Supreme Being.

The absence of mutual respect in human relations gives rise to misconduct.  The most common form of misconduct is bullying, which occurs at home, school, work and online.

Bulling is the personal, institutional (workplace) or Internet (cyber-bullying) desire of individuals and social systems to “control” people psychologically, economically, socially and physically.

As an employee, United States veteran and child of God, it is difficult for me to temporarily forget my loyalty to God, country, FGCU and commitment to mutually respect others.

I am constantly reminded as an American that our spiritual, national and civic duties are richly grounded in biblical, constitutional and ethical histories.

Would you be so kind, if even for a brief moment, to help me remind the majority of us that our “mutual and general welfare” as mentioned in our first constitution:  the 1778 Articles of Confederation and “We the people of the United States” that begins our second constitution:  the 1787 United States Constitution, should never be forgotten?

Robert William Green, Jr., M.A.

Senior Clerk, Information Building