The high road became the low road during a high school assembly last week in Wrentham and, because of that, an important appeal to civility has been muddied.

Sen. Scott Brown, R-Wrentham, alas, became what he was condemning.

Brown, a guest at a King Philip Regional High School assembly to discuss legislative initiatives, opened by reading obscenity-laced facebook.com Web site comments directed against him for his anti-gay marriage stance and, by association, against his family.

He said some of the written comments attributed to KP students, whom he named aloud at the assembly, were directed at his daughter.

The lawmaker held captive to his outrage many KP students who were innocent of the name-calling and foul language, and did so in a manner unbecoming to his roles as caring parent and respected lawmaker. Who among us would not be prepared to do battle against anyone disparaging and dishonoring our loved ones?

But there is a time, a tone and a context for retort and for demanding vindication.

While we empathize with Brown's wish to redress the postings, his decision to use an appearance on legislative issues to scold everyone came across as inappropriate, unjust and seemingly out of character.

Replying in kind diminished, for the moment, his stature as a grownup who should have known better.

We wish he had, instead, said, "My family has been deeply hurt and dishonored by hateful, foul comments posted online at facebook.com by some of your peers related to my views on gay marriage. I'd like to call for two moments of silence so you can ask yourself this question: How would you feel if you, your parents or your little sister or brother were publicly demeaned because you expressed your opinion on some subject of importance to you?"

Instead of peppering the entire audience with a regurgitation of the postings and naming students involved, he could have taken the high road.

This could have been followed up by a written complaint to the school administration since the students involved identified themselves as part of the KP community.

Brown would have walked away from that assembly, unassailable in his dignity and - though many adults are skeptical of the ability of teens to empathize with anything but their own conceits - would have made a lasting impression on many.

Yes, how would I feel if someone said those things about my family?

Brown would have forced students to direct questions to themselves and their own values. Instead, he became the focus of ensuing debate.

In doing so, the original message - an appeal for respect and maturity in our great American tradition of expressing our differing beliefs - got swept up in controversy over his own indiscretion.