Hearing concerns public participation issues
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Editor,
A human rights hearing concerning a complaint against the city of Polson will take place in the Polson City Library meeting room Sept. 14 at 9 a.m. The hearing addresses the first amendment issue involving freedom of speech. A city resident, Murat Kalinyaprak, filed several complaints against the city between 2006 and 2008. This case offers a unique opportunity for citizens to grasp a more in-depth understanding of public process and citizen participation.
The founding fathers provided an idea, a framework, of a democratic republic. We fail in the mission to make their vision a reality when too few residents attend city council meetings and when information concerning the public’s business has such a low priority in our lives.
The University of Montana recently announced it removed public affairs journalism from the curriculum, presumably because it matters so little in the training of students for today’s working environment.
Citizens in opposition to the policies and decisions of those in positions of authority can be minimized, discounted, and in some cases deliberately humiliated when there are too few in the room to witness the treatment afforded the person endeavoring to develop his point of view.
If news reporters are not afforded the time or mandated to explore alternate points of view, nothing is mentioned in the newspaper account. Opposing views are the stimulus for discussion and debate, which is the heart of public participation. Opposition offers an opportunity for society to open up to new possibilities. Granted, opposition is very challenging for those dedicated to public service, but it must not be seen as too troublesome to be allowed. This statement is not to imply the issue of civility does not have to be addressed.
Margie Hendricks
Polson
