Healthy debate good for Americans
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Editor,
All those attending and anyone listening to President Obama’s speech to the graduating class at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor recently had the opportunity to hear a most lucid, intelligent, thoughtful and timely lecture on the great value of our democratic system of government, how it came to be, where it has been, where it is today and what is needed for it to truly represent ‘the will of the people’ in the future.
In short, he explained how this system could work and what is necessary for it to work.
Focusing on a key point, he said, “The second way to keep our democracy healthy is to maintain a basic level of civility in our public debate.”
“We cannot expect to solve our problems if all we do is tear each other down. You can disagree with a certain policy without demonizing the person who espouses it. You can question someone’s views and their judgment without questioning their motives or their patriotism,” he added.
Finally, he said, “The problem is that this kind of vilification and over-the-top rhetoric closes the door to the possibility of compromise. It undermines democratic deliberation. It prevents learning, since after all, why should we listen to a ‘fascist’ or ‘socialist’ or ‘right wing nut’?”
Intelligent, healthy, heated debate and discussion can stimulate critical thinking among the listeners or readers. Anger and vitriolic attack added to this same debate and discussion stimulates anger, fear, and sometimes the worst of responses among the listeners or readers.
President Obama’s graduation speech was interrupted countless times and one had the feeling with this enthusiastic applause that these graduates were finally hearing exactly what they wanted and needed to hear.
And my thoughts were, as he finished his speech, that finally he was addressing the age group who really needed to hear this message, an age group who will be counted upon to implement a workable democratic system of government for our great country.
We are in good hands, I think.
Bob McClellan
Polson
