What’s happened to civil discourse? The idea of engaging in a debate or discussion with an open-mind, of being willing to change it if you hear compelling arguments, has somehow vanished.
Instead, people seem just to spout off. It doesn’t really matter the issue: LNG, Northern Gateway, the teachers’ strike or a development in your neighbourhood, people just have a knee-jerk response and stick to it with a let-the-facts-be-damned attitude.
There are lots of reasons for this, I think.
We learn from the pros: Politicians and corporations have taken to stating their position as though it is fact and simply not allowing dissension even when their facts are incorrect.
We see a lot of that these days. The Federal Conservatives are the masters. Climate change? What climate change? But our own provincial Liberals are pretty good too – What court ruling? And companies like Enbridge have been taking lessons – What oil spill?
Another tack that seems “in vogue” is one that I once heard a PR person from the Mounties espouse which can be summarized as “say nothing and hope it goes away.” The proponents of one local “controversial” developments seem to have adapted this position. When invited to participate in a debate, the spokesperson’s reply was, “In my experience, on an issue like this, the people who come have their minds made up and not a lot of learning is done.” What can anyone say to that?
Social media is also an easy target. Who hasn’t, at sometime or other, spewed vitriol at a Facebook post or on the comment board of a media outlet? Social media makes it easy to say your piece and not have to really defend or justify it in any way.
And some people take their unfiltered social media persona and impose them face-to-face. One council member related a story of watching a community event with her family and being assaulted by an angry constituent who hectored and berated her without making any effort at engaging in discussion.
It’s important to be heard, of course, and I think that we are all feeling a little powerless in a world which sometimes feels that it’s gotten a little out of control. Maybe we’ve lost trust in the “messages” that we’re getting from those who have power. But as citizens, we need to demand more. We all need to get engaged and keep an open mind.
