the spirit of democracy
I need to take this moment to address something that is very very important to me, so it is not cut.
And that is, that these "town hall meetings" are not. Not. Not. Town. Hall. Meetings.
It's an insult to Town Meetings that they're being called this. I don't like it on the campaign trail, and I really don't like it now. Whoever decided that "random people get to stand up and ask questions" is a town hall meeting was a clown.
Yes, it's good to have people come in and ask questions. But the recent "protesters" or whomever they are have really shed light on how very far these fora (that's what they are-- fora) are from town meetings.
1) A town hall meeting does not circle around some fancy official being held accountable for his/her positions. It is a way to bring the town itself together.
2) Town meetings are for towns. Just the people from the town. You don't drive two hours to invade someone else's town meeting. It's not done. Let's not even get started on my opinions about interfering in another state's politics.
3) Most importantly, town meetings are for discussing and coming to consensus, and getting things done. As paraphrased in the Washington Post,
"People in New England don't meet just to jawbone and gum issues to death. They are personally engaged with and collectively responsible for actual governance." (discussing Frank Bryan; link to a good article about this issue)
Are the people always right? No. I mean, rarely, in my opinion, do masses of people come to the Right Decision. But the value of town meetings is that of a number of people, interdependent due to neighborliness and common citizenship, will show up to hear a variety of opinions and ideas about the issues that directly affect them, discuss said ideas, and come to a consensus. Not a decision by out-voting the other side; a consensus. Consensus requires reason, listening, compromise, and civility.
Sadly, reason, listening, compromise, and civility seem to be the last things on a number of the participants' (if they deserve the term) minds.
And that is, that these "town hall meetings" are not. Not. Not. Town. Hall. Meetings.
It's an insult to Town Meetings that they're being called this. I don't like it on the campaign trail, and I really don't like it now. Whoever decided that "random people get to stand up and ask questions" is a town hall meeting was a clown.
Yes, it's good to have people come in and ask questions. But the recent "protesters" or whomever they are have really shed light on how very far these fora (that's what they are-- fora) are from town meetings.
1) A town hall meeting does not circle around some fancy official being held accountable for his/her positions. It is a way to bring the town itself together.
2) Town meetings are for towns. Just the people from the town. You don't drive two hours to invade someone else's town meeting. It's not done. Let's not even get started on my opinions about interfering in another state's politics.
3) Most importantly, town meetings are for discussing and coming to consensus, and getting things done. As paraphrased in the Washington Post,
"People in New England don't meet just to jawbone and gum issues to death. They are personally engaged with and collectively responsible for actual governance." (discussing Frank Bryan; link to a good article about this issue)
Are the people always right? No. I mean, rarely, in my opinion, do masses of people come to the Right Decision. But the value of town meetings is that of a number of people, interdependent due to neighborliness and common citizenship, will show up to hear a variety of opinions and ideas about the issues that directly affect them, discuss said ideas, and come to a consensus. Not a decision by out-voting the other side; a consensus. Consensus requires reason, listening, compromise, and civility.
Sadly, reason, listening, compromise, and civility seem to be the last things on a number of the participants' (if they deserve the term) minds.