Published: Sunday, September 20, 2009
GUEST COMMENTARY / PUBLIC DEBATE
Civility protects everyone's right to expression
There is a Norman Rockwell painting I've always admired, depicting a man speaking his mind at a town hall meeting. The people around him look a little disapproving, but they're civil. Respectful.
Rockwell's painting was inspired by a Franklin Roosevelt speech in which he laid out Four Freedoms that were essential to our country.
Freedom of speech was the first.
While town hall meetings may seem outdated in this age of electronic communication, I still have them. This summer I hosted one, and 20 citizens showed up wanting to talk about health care reform. That's about .0002 percent of the voters in my district.
The discussion was civil. Respectful.
On the national level, what's happening at town hall meetings hasn't been civil. It's been bullying, yelling down, and people have been threatened. It's been an attempt to intimidate and turn this important debate into a street brawl. It would be so wrong for intimidation to succeed.
Some people think if they yell, their lawmaker will listen.
And one member of Congress — Republican Joe Wilson of South Carolina — thinks it's OK to shout down the president of the United States during a speech in the House chamber. Even many Republicans found this dangerous to the republic and admonished him. In school we were taught to wait our turn and respect others' right to speak. Apparently Wilson and others forgot this simple lesson.
It's not about being loud or carrying the biggest sign. Lawmakers listen to ideas and good arguments.
Those who don't always have the loudest voice — children, the elderly, the disabled — are those who most need to be heard.
I understand why a town hall meeting may draw only 20 people. People are busy earning a living so they can pay the mortgage. They're getting the kids to soccer, helping with homework, and caring for aging parents.
For U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, the 2,500 people who came to his town hall meeting at Everett Memorial Stadium this summer were equivalent to .004 percent of his 600,000 voters.
Larsen did a great job, but I doubt many people changed their mind. Most people who showed up were politically active in the first place.
But it's important that we do these things. Ideas get stronger when they're challenged and changed. And citizens have a right to speak out, ask questions, share stories and offer ideas.
Today, you can get informed and speak out in many ways that didn't exist when Norman Rockwell painted “Freedom of Speech.” E-mail alerts, text messaging, streaming video and 24-hour news coverage keep lawmakers in contact with their constituents.
Yet there's something special about old-fashioned ways of getting in touch. People stop me every day and want to chat. They write letters and fill out the surveys I send out with my newsletters. I would not be doing my job if I only listened to one group.
And I'd be letting down everyone if I only listened to angry yellers, whatever their point of view.
We have to work together to bring respect back. The media like to cover conflict. Inflammatory bombast sells soap. Because it gets ratings, hate gets fanned.
Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly are not just anti-Democratic Party when they promote fear and distractions and lies. They're anti-democratic. It's wrong if lawmakers lie to the people. It's also wrong if people who make their living from politics — behind the camera or the microphone — lie to the people for ratings and money.
The Internet allows people to hide behind false names. Some of the comments that will follow the online version of this commentary won't have real names attached to them. We can escape responsibility for our words. Many people lack the courage to stand behind their views. That's not how democracy ought to work.
My town halls were civil. I thank all the people who showed up to discuss the issues we all face. It strengthened my faith in our country. I would ask everyone to think long and hard before you try to shout down or intimidate someone.
If you want to shout, wave nasty signs, march in the street and yell, have at it. I will defend your right to say or write anything you want. But if you threaten or yell someone down, you cross the line.
The people in Rockwell's painting were respecting another's right to speak. When you respect the rights of others, you protect our most fundamental freedoms.
In many parts of the world, they don't have freedom of speech and they don't respect differing opinions. Violence has replaced freedom. Take a close look at those countries. Winning by intimidation is not winning. Because when you take away another person's freedom of speech, you lose yours.
There is much more at stake than health care.
State Rep. Hans Dunshee (D-Snohomish) is a former volunteer firefighter and small business owner. He chairs the Capital Budget Committee.
Rockwell's painting was inspired by a Franklin Roosevelt speech in which he laid out Four Freedoms that were essential to our country.
Freedom of speech was the first.
While town hall meetings may seem outdated in this age of electronic communication, I still have them. This summer I hosted one, and 20 citizens showed up wanting to talk about health care reform. That's about .0002 percent of the voters in my district.
The discussion was civil. Respectful.
On the national level, what's happening at town hall meetings hasn't been civil. It's been bullying, yelling down, and people have been threatened. It's been an attempt to intimidate and turn this important debate into a street brawl. It would be so wrong for intimidation to succeed.
Some people think if they yell, their lawmaker will listen.
And one member of Congress — Republican Joe Wilson of South Carolina — thinks it's OK to shout down the president of the United States during a speech in the House chamber. Even many Republicans found this dangerous to the republic and admonished him. In school we were taught to wait our turn and respect others' right to speak. Apparently Wilson and others forgot this simple lesson.
It's not about being loud or carrying the biggest sign. Lawmakers listen to ideas and good arguments.
Those who don't always have the loudest voice — children, the elderly, the disabled — are those who most need to be heard.
I understand why a town hall meeting may draw only 20 people. People are busy earning a living so they can pay the mortgage. They're getting the kids to soccer, helping with homework, and caring for aging parents.
For U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, the 2,500 people who came to his town hall meeting at Everett Memorial Stadium this summer were equivalent to .004 percent of his 600,000 voters.
Larsen did a great job, but I doubt many people changed their mind. Most people who showed up were politically active in the first place.
But it's important that we do these things. Ideas get stronger when they're challenged and changed. And citizens have a right to speak out, ask questions, share stories and offer ideas.
Today, you can get informed and speak out in many ways that didn't exist when Norman Rockwell painted “Freedom of Speech.” E-mail alerts, text messaging, streaming video and 24-hour news coverage keep lawmakers in contact with their constituents.
Yet there's something special about old-fashioned ways of getting in touch. People stop me every day and want to chat. They write letters and fill out the surveys I send out with my newsletters. I would not be doing my job if I only listened to one group.
And I'd be letting down everyone if I only listened to angry yellers, whatever their point of view.
We have to work together to bring respect back. The media like to cover conflict. Inflammatory bombast sells soap. Because it gets ratings, hate gets fanned.
Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly are not just anti-Democratic Party when they promote fear and distractions and lies. They're anti-democratic. It's wrong if lawmakers lie to the people. It's also wrong if people who make their living from politics — behind the camera or the microphone — lie to the people for ratings and money.
The Internet allows people to hide behind false names. Some of the comments that will follow the online version of this commentary won't have real names attached to them. We can escape responsibility for our words. Many people lack the courage to stand behind their views. That's not how democracy ought to work.
My town halls were civil. I thank all the people who showed up to discuss the issues we all face. It strengthened my faith in our country. I would ask everyone to think long and hard before you try to shout down or intimidate someone.
If you want to shout, wave nasty signs, march in the street and yell, have at it. I will defend your right to say or write anything you want. But if you threaten or yell someone down, you cross the line.
The people in Rockwell's painting were respecting another's right to speak. When you respect the rights of others, you protect our most fundamental freedoms.
In many parts of the world, they don't have freedom of speech and they don't respect differing opinions. Violence has replaced freedom. Take a close look at those countries. Winning by intimidation is not winning. Because when you take away another person's freedom of speech, you lose yours.
There is much more at stake than health care.
State Rep. Hans Dunshee (D-Snohomish) is a former volunteer firefighter and small business owner. He chairs the Capital Budget Committee.
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