Hello Friends,
Civil
discourse has been an important part of the American tradition ever since our
nation’s founding. The free exchange of ideas enables us to participate in
processes to come up with solutions to problems and create a stronger sense of
the greater good.
However,
it seems that some people have forgotten the need to have these conversations
with a sense of mutual respect.
I
attended a couple of town hall meetings in mid-April with Congressman Greg
Walden. They were held in Medford and Grants Pass, and afforded citizens the
opportunity to share their concerns with one of the highest-ranking members of
Congress.
Both
meetings were marred with constant interruptions from members of the audience
and frequent displays of disdain for the Congressman and everyone else in
attendance. Many people who wanted to ask questions were unable to because of
the time others spent heckling Walden without even trying to hear what he had
to say.
The
next day, I held two town hall meetings of my own, in Ashland and Jacksonville.
Although a some of those who came to the Ashland event disagreed with my stance
on a few issues, the overall dialogue was still largely productive. My meeting
at old city hall in Jacksonville was even better, as the audience did much to
uphold the traditions of civic discourse.
There’s
no way that everyone is always going to agree on everything. Therefore, it’s
critical we take the time to listen to each other’s viewpoints to decide what
policies government should implement to benefit as many people as possible.
Instead,
we’ve reached a point where elected representatives and members of their
families are directly threatened by people who are unhappy with decisions
they’ve made while serving in office. The mayor of Portland has had to contend
with protesters behaving badly in front of the private residence that he shares
with his wife and children. He stayed at least one night at a hotel and has had
his car tires slashed repeatedly.
Such
behavior is simply unacceptable. We owe it to each other to engage in
constructive discussions that bring us closer to a mutual understanding, rather
than perpetuating the politics of division and personal destruction normalized
by the 2016 presidential election. Let’s rise above this and rise above the
race to the bottom.
I
was very encouraged by those who showed up to meet with me in Ashland and
Jacksonville, and look forward to having more town hall meetings in the future.
Together, we can do what we can to make Oregon a better place to live for each
and every one of us.
Yours truly,
Sen. Alan DeBoer
Senate District 3
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1703 Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-421, Salem, Oregon 97301 Email: sen.AlanDeBoer@oregonlegislature.gov Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/deboer
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