Politics as we know it have taken a strange turn in our lifetime. Not that this is anything new, but it feels as though the political scene has become strangely disconnected from the electorate. This is neither a Republican, Democrat nor any other party phenomenon; it is “them” versus “us,” and it is almost as though “we” are bothering “them.”
I would again bring up the disturbing statistic that confidence in the U.S. Congress is approximately 12 percent. We have more confidence in tele-marketers and bankers than we have in congress.
This number again struck me yesterday when I read an online article on Bloomberg by Terrance Dopp (October 29, 2014) entitled: Christie Tells Sandy Heckler in Belmar to ‘Sit Down and Shut Up.’
The heckler engaged New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at an event marking the second anniversary of Hurricane Sandy. The heckler was complaining about the snail-like pace with which rebuilding was taking place. According to the article:
“Christie, a 52-year-old Republican considering a run for president in 2016, traded words for more than a minute and a half with the man, who interrupted a speech in Belmar to protest what he called the slow pace of rebuilding. The man waved a sign that said ‘Get Sandy Families Back in Their Homes.’”
Governor Christie has a reputation for his angry exchanges and bullying. It is a trademark that propelled him into the national spotlight. In any case, he ended the exchange by telling the man to sit down and shut up.
However, the heckler had a point.
“Two years after the storm, which devastated New Jersey and caused widespread blackouts and gas lines,” said the article. “Some residents of the hard-hit shore region are growing impatient over the pace at which the state and federal government are distributing rebuilding aid.”
If we remember to the devastation created by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, we must also acknowledge that whole areas of New Orleans are still in ruins. The voices of their dissent have been all but silenced.
I would also remind that you, to be fair and balanced, that protestors have been removed from Democratic speeches. They were not yelling or screaming obscenities, they were simply practicing the right to free speech by putting up signs and placards.
A larger problem
Our politicians often set a mold or template, if you will for the behaviors we see in the workplace, our communities and our schools. I believe that within the normal confines of discourse, we should be able to hear each other out.
Suppose we are in a sales meeting, and one of the sales people is questioning the quality of a product she is selling, should the sales manager tell her to “Sit down and shut up?” No, we would be outraged by such behavior.
Let me give an even more extreme example: Your father is suffering from chest pains and he is rushed to the hospital. You walk up to the emergency room nurse asking about his health and she tells you to “Sit down and shut up!” I am quite sure your response would not be so polite.
Both the sales manager and the emergency room nurse are in positions of authority however, we expect certain types of behavior consistent with that authority. Even if the sales manager is sick and tired of dealing with the sales person, or the emergency room nurse is just finishing an 18 hour shift, there are normal codes of behavior to be observed.
Have we, as a society, become so angry and so stressed that we want to end any discussions of the issues? Have we allowed our politicians to become a “protected class” that cannot be questioned?
What other venues do we have in our daily lives to question our elected officials? Town hall meetings are staged and managed; speeches and press conferences are highly controlled; offices are “sealed,” from access; aides and not the politicians themselves answer our inquiries.
From an ethical point of view, it all becomes quite troubling. When Governor Christie told a dissenter to “Shut up!” he was giving us a glimpse into how the political process has unfolded, and just another example as to why that 12 percent number has not changed.
The solution of course, begins with us.
We have the power to vote. However, on that larger scale, in our work places, communities and our school systems we cannot tolerate such meanness to one another. If we, as an ethical, functioning society will not tolerate it when others talk to us in such a manner, then eventually it will catch up to those we elect.
Dissent is critical in our free society; it is not a luxury. Maybe someone should remind our politicians of that fact.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?