In case you missed it this week, Americans believe their fellow Americans are ruder than ever -- including themselves.

Instead of opening and holding doors for people, allowing people to have a place in a line or helping someone carry items, Americans are far more likely to flip the bird at their fellow citizens and reinforce the action with a healthy dose of &uot;f&uot; bombs. And we thought things had changed since Sept. 11?

Well, guess what folks. The rudeness factor is only going to get worse unless we're all serious about doing something about it.

Of course the solution lies at home with the family.

What problem can't be traced back to problems at home? It's kind of like the seven degrees of actor Kevin Bacon. Start with any actor and it's a guarantee within seven people you can find a connection to Bacon. So it is with any of the world's problems. Spit out a problem and the deterioration of the family is most likely the root cause. Only it's probably not seven degrees, but more than likely one, or two degrees.

People are just too lazy to give a darn anymore. It's a heck of a lot easier to tell little Tommy to &uot;f'in&uot; do his homework than to actually spend the time helping him. Oh yeah, and when little Tommy gets mad at Johnny, at school, it's simply Tommy's nature to drop the &uot;f&uot; bomb on his friend and get violent, than to actually converse.

And there is the cause of America's burgeoning rudeness. The art of conversation has been lost, caused by the explosion of TV and computers. The result is the isolation of individual members of the family and the creation of instant frustration when the individual time is interrupted.

People simply lack the patience, and communicative skills, gained through positive interaction during one's early childhood years. The lack of communicative skills in one generation is passed along to the next, causing an even further deterioration of the skill.

The lost art of conversation can be eerily compared to the pattern of physical violence and sexual abuse parents pass from one generation to another.

A child reared in an environment of flippin' birds and &uot;f&uot; bombs will in turn raise a generation, at least, as equally adept at using grotesque and rude language and non-verbal communication.

What can we do to turn the tide?

As parents we can set positive examples. Whether it is communicating with a spouse in a respectful manner; or simply spending time with children and calmly discussing matters, the impact will be a positive one.

The schools, youth organizations, and the many adult volunteers play an important role as well. When rude language, or gestures, are heard, or observed, adults need to make sure the offending youth understands such behavior is unacceptable.

As a community we need to always encourage constructive conversation. The more times the correct form of conversation can be demonstrated, the better chance we have at making a difference.

So, the next time you're tempted to drop an &uot;f&uot; bomb, or flip someone the bird, show some initiative and hold a conversation. Then you can sleep at night knowing you're not one of the many lazy Americans contributing to the plague of rudeness sweeping the country.

Neal Ronquist's column appears on Sundays.