Jokes

Perhaps you regard civility as a joke.

Perhaps you are a participant in a distastefully joking culture. 

While excessively vocal extroverts may eagerly sign petitions and wave placards about in crowds and make rude jokes about politicians, the same does not apply to most other citizens. 

Petitions, placards and jokes, like other promotional materials, merely draw attention to a concern.  They do not actively and effectively address the matter in question.

Jokes may or may not ease hostilities between people.

How do you distinguish between a vulgar joke and an expression of sophisticated wit?

Perhaps you enjoy finding the comical in various situations, whether appropriately or otherwise.

But when, in your experiences, have jokes encouraged the improvement of civility?

To express freedom of speech, and other expressions of freedom, is to participate in political communication.  Such freedom does not imply a right to spread misinformation, share gossip, hurl abuse, tell bad jokes, intrude upon privacy, or otherwise behave distastefully.

Of course, there are exceptions in terms of artistic freedom.

If you regard your nurturing obligations as a joke, why do you feel that way?

If you regard civility as a joke, why do you feel that way?

Perhaps your intentions are sometimes unclear when you use figurative language. 

A figurative joke is usually associated with anger and cynicism.

It is also often associated with unmet expectations.