On my podcast, I've spoken to many people who agree that our (americans) manners have really taken a nose dive from what was probably already a nose dive. Most kids today are not raised to eat at the table let alone hold any sort of table manners. It's sad, because we set our children at a deficit that ends up being our Country's deficit. Manners are important, once you observe the lack of them, the lightbulb over the head appears. I think if there is something American's can do that would be easy and doable and change the country partially, is a return to manners. (At the table and otherwise)