In a society that believes in free speech, the open discussion of ideas took several hits last week from local schoolhouses to the floor of Congress to some of our mailboxes.
School systems shutting down a presidential stay-in-school speech. A congressman heckling the president during a national address. The National Rifle Association targeting Valdosta Mayor John Fretti for participating in discussions on illegal guns.
Civil discussion has taken a backseat to audacity, rude behavior and intimidation.
School systems nationwide received calls or feared receiving calls from anti-speech parents when President Barack Obama wanted to address students about staying in school and working hard. So, many schools pulled the plug on a speech from the duly elected President of the United States, or gave parents the choice of opting their children out of the presidential speech. The Valdosta City School System opted out of the speech completely. Lowndes County schools allowed parents to opt their children out of the speech.
During a presidential speech to a joint session of Congress, a South Carolina representative loudly accused Obama of lying. An elected official essentially called the President of the United States a liar on the floor of Congress, during a televised speech to the nation.
Mayor Fretti says he joined the national Mayors Against Illegal Guns so he could participate in a discussion on how cities can better protect police officers and the public from criminals with illegal guns. The NRA has labeled MAIG as being anti-gun and sent flyers to cities across the nation demanding individual mayors withdraw from MAIG. Funny thing is Fretti isn’t anti-gun. He’s also an NRA member. But that didn’t stop the NRA from targeting him, or demanding Valdosta-area NRA members to ask him why he wants to take their guns away. Fretti says he doesn’t want to take away law-abiding citizens’ guns; he just wanted to talk to fellow mayors about handling criminals with illegal guns.
He just wanted to talk.
Problem with just wanting to talk is there seems to be a lot of folks across the nation right now who don’t want to civilly listen to anyone whose opinions differ from their own. Seems a lot of folks don’t want anyone else to listen either.
Don’t like what you hear? Shout someone down. Or call someone a liar. Or launch a campaign of intimidation to shut them up.
At a critical time in our national life, with our country in two wars, a battered economy, real health care concerns, and a battery of other issues, we should not seek to shut up or shut out fellow Americans.
We should seek as many ideas and opinions as possible. Shouting for someone to shut up may express the shouter’s opinion, but it does nothing for a conversation of ideas.
Debate is healthy. Debate and disagreement are necessary in a free society.
But too many people have mistaken shouting and accusations for debate.
People can disagree. They will disagree. But disagreeing shouldn’t be an excuse to be disagreeable.
What We Think
What We Think: A lesson on civility
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Thoughts on graduation
Graduation ceremonies reflect how life marches on. For the students receiving their diplomas and degrees, graduation is a culmination of the majority of their lives’ work.
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Thumbs up, thumbs down
THUMBS UP: To Dr. John Gaston, retiring dean of Valdosta State University’s College of the Arts. For the past 10-plus years, Gaston has worked to build a more interconnected program with various artistic and communications departments working together. Given that you are likely to see one College of the Arts department collaborating with another during events is proof of Gaston’s success.
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On the go this weekend
Take a breath.
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Sharing the roads with motorcycles
With the recent pleasant temperatures and sunny skies, the number of motorcycles on area roads has increased.
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Thank your local law enforcement today
Today, May 15, was designated Peace Officers Memorial Day back in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy was in office.
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Visit musical roots this weekend
Beginning Saturday, May 18, Nashville, Ga., will be hosting a special Smithsonian exhibit, “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music.” The exhibit will continue through the end of June and Nashville has done a tremendous job in promoting and planning for the exhibit.
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Happy Mother’s Day!
A few years ago, a television commercial asked, Who first believed in you? Many folks may have instinctively answered by simply saying, Mom.
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Thumbs up
THUMBS UP: To mail workers, volunteers and food bank staff for gathering food for the annual Stamp Out Hunger postal food drive today. A plastic bag designated for canned goods and other non-perishable food items should have arrived in your mailbox earlier this week. If you haven’t already, take a few moments to fill the bag with food and hang from your mailbox. If you didn’t receive the special Stamp Out Hunger bag, any plastic bag filled with food will do. This food drive helps feed thousands of South Georgians annually. Valdosta-Lowndes County often donates more food than nearly all other cities and counties in Georgia.
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Celebrating nurses
She is considered the founder of modern nursing so it seems only natural that National Nurses Week would include Florence Nightingale’s birthday.
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Helping the hungry: Mail it in!
Valdosta-Lowndes County continues revealing its generous spirit.
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Thoughts on graduation
