Civil Discourse

The month of August, 2009, will be remembered by me for two things. First, during this month some members of Congress have returned to their home districts to conduct so-called “Town Hall Meetings”. The electorate has been attending these meetings in record numbers. “Town Hall Meetings” used to be reserved for “policy wonks”. However, because of the national debate on health care reform the meetings have been packed to overflowing.

Not only have the meetings been filled with lots and lots of people, but they have been marked with a lot yelling and shouting. By now all of you have seen on TV pictures of some people quite literally screaming at members of the House of Representatives and members of the Senate. Passions have, indeed, been running high.

The national debate on health care reform is an important one. I will not debate or offer my views on the merits or the demerits of the plan(s) that are being considered by members of the Congress. One thing I will say is that I am very thankful that I’m not a Representative or a Senator. Is someone got into my face, screaming at me, at just might be tempted to poke the offending party in the nose. (Just kidding!)

What is sad to me is the absolute lack of civility in the public discourse. I will defend to my dying breath the right of people to protest and state their deeply held views, beliefs and convictions. The great thing about the democracy in which we live, and for which people have given their lives, is that WE THE PEOPLE (quoting from the cannon of the Constitution) have every right in the world to tell our elected officials our views. Dissent is no sin, as long as it is presented in a civil manner, it seems to me.

The fact that some people, not all people, at the Town Hall meetings are yelling and screaming really should come as no surprise to any of us. Turn on the cable news programs on CNN, FOX and MSNBC and you will see, quite often, people yelling at each other. When my wife and I were newly married I used to watch CNN’s “Crossfire”. My wife referred to it as “the yelling man show”.

I was a very odd teenager. One of my favorite TV shows was William F. Buckley’s “Firing Line”. Mr. Buckley used to debate guests on a variety of issues. He never raised his voice. He never belittled their character. He carried on reasoned discussion. No wonder the show was lost in ether of noise with the advent of the cable news networks.

Our elected officials have not helped the tone of debate in this country. Both Democrats and Republicans harangue one another. It’s not quite as bad with members of the Senate where there is more of a tradition of civility, than in the rowdy House of Representatives. Yet, some senators should have their bottoms spank for the mean and spiteful things they say about the character of other people.

You might be interested to know that in Robert’s Rules of Order, that both houses use to guide and conduct their business, there is a provision that a member may not ever question the character of a fellow member. Following that provision would lead to civil discourse. Some of our elected officials might want to bone up on Robert’s Rules.

The second thing that August of 2009 will be remembered by me for is the ELCA’s Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis. Regardless of what you may have thought about the outcome of various votes, particularly those on human sexuality, if you watched any of the assembly at all on the Web you must have been impressed with the civility of debate. (I will not give my views on those votes in this particular venue, at this time.)

I did watch some of the debates concerning various resolutions. The resolutions concerning human sexuality, by their very nature, raised some intense feelings in people both in and out of the assembly hall. When speakers went to the microphones to express their views, they may have been passionate about their views, but the vast majority of people speaking, that I saw, at least, seemed to be working to remain civil to even those people with who they disagreed passionately.
I do believe that the delegates at the assembly modeled good, Christian discourse. They are to be commended for that, regardless of one’s views concerning the outcome of votes.

It is hard to state one’s views without anger and rancor at times. Blessed St. Peter in the third chapter of his first letter reminds us:

8Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing. 10For “Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; 11let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it. 12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 13Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? 14But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, 15but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; 16yet do it with gentleness and reverence. (I Peter 3:8-16)

A Christian person can, indeed, have a strong view, even a passionate view. But, the Christian person must always in the heat of debate realize that Christ died and rose again for the sake of the person they are debating. To scream at another person isn’t just bad form, it is to deny Jesus’ profound love for those we debate and disagree with.

I have friends who don’t see eye to eye with me on all manner of issues. Yet, we never become nasty, we never become testy. We work hard at maintaining a bond of peace.

If only people could remember such things as they debate and disagree with each other.