COLUMN: It’s alright to disagree sometimes
All it takes is a quick browse through any editorial page, and the comments those articles receive, to get a firm understanding of the strong, and oftentimes violent, views that are filling the media.
Recent debate on political and nonpolitical issues have polarized views and responses across the United States.
It seems that every kind of threat or scare that can be used, is being used, to persuade a person to the far right or left. In the world of media, people are no longer simply “liberals” or “conservatives.” Now, you are a bigot, socialist, communist, anti-American, fascist or idiot if you disagree with anything anyone says. Doesn’t really matter if you are on the left or right of the issue.
And Utah, unfortunately, is not immune to this type of uncivilized debate.
Perusing the editorial section of some local papers (The Statesman, The Herald Journal, and The Salt Lake Tribune) can give you a small impression of the scale of this type of debate.
In the last two days I have found the following attacks in local columns, letters to the editor, and discussion boards:
• In a column published by The Statesman written in an attempt to show reasoning for “spice” being made illegal, the writer asks everyone who disagrees with her particular belief to “allow (her) to take a moment to figuratively backhand (them) for being such… idiot(s).”
• In an article on equality published in the Salt Lake Tribune, one respondent disliked a legitimate argument put forth by another and eloquently expressed his rebuttal as: “You are a selfish, hateful bigot”.
• In the Logan Herald Journal, one letter to the editor suggested that we “geld the ACLU, the D.O.E, the Sierra Club, PETA and OSHA”. For those of you unawares, “geld” can be replaced with “castrate.” This act, according to the writer would “be a good start at reclaiming our dream”.
I don’t want to be misunderstood. I enjoy the threat of castration, or even the occasional backhand, as much as the rest of you. I really do. But I think those types of things have their place. Perhaps in a Steven Seagal movie.
For the sake of civilized public discourse, I, for one, agree with Jon Stewart, who has suggested arguing, “I disagree with you, but I’m pretty sure you’re not Hitler”.
So, why are we all becoming uncivilized in our dialog? The simple answer: as a populous, we aren’t.
According to Chris Lee, general manager for deseretnews.com, “Less than one percent of our visitors contribute and read comments… (a)t ksl.com, the percentage is even less than that”.
In other words, those being uncivil aren’t the majority of us. They are just the really, really loud ones.
Which is a shame.
A minuscule fraction of the population, because of the decibel level at which they can speak – and write – have taken over control of the conversation.
Not only has this left the rest of us in an awkward position – choose a side, and, by the way, whichever side you don’t choose will ridicule and mock you – but it has also had an ill effect on the marketplace of ideas that should be open to all.
Due to the hostility of recent debates, ksl.com has chosen to shut down its comment boards until a way is found to better filter the “inflammatory and disrespectful” comments.
Deseret News is now taking more measures to ensure that discourse on their website remain civil.
As it stands, The Salt Lake Tribune is the only major public forum left that allows relatively unfiltered dialog for the state of Utah.
We have become limited in our choices.
But here are three possible options:
1. We can, like others have done, become like those in the extremes and throw our threats of violence and insults toward anyone that doesn’t agree with our particular ideology.
2. We can ignore the issue altogether and hope that it never really turns into anything bad.
3. We can try to put a stop to this by becoming involved and, in a civilized manner, take control of the discussion.
There are far more than two options for any political issue. It is not “my way or the highway.” If you disagree with a person over a political issue, you are not anti-American. In fact, that may just prove how American you are, seeing as you are taking advantage of the freedom granted us by the constitution.
Choice in political party may be a matter of simple preference. Or it could be due to early environmental influences. Or, for all I know, it could be genetic.
Incivility, however, is due to people feasting on incivility regularly through talk-radio, cable TV, or even just through the anonymous blog and comment posts on the Internet.
It would be a shame that, just because the majority of people remain silent, we would all lose the ability to have a civilized discourse.
Ben Zaritsky is a senior majoring in print journalism.