Comments on: Dealing With High Emotion and ‘Staged Anger’: Tips for Legislators http://www.thataway.org/index.php/?p=1619 Fostering a world of discussion, participation and action. Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:00:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Dawn Newsome http://www.thataway.org/index.php/?p=1619&cpage=1#comment-134978 Dawn Newsome Fri, 14 Aug 2009 03:54:39 +0000 http://www.thataway.org/index.php/?p=1619#comment-134978 While hysteria never furthers public policy it is easy to understand the emotional nature of some of those who are speaking up. But to suggest that if one speaks out at these meetings they must be "mobilizing specifically to disrupt the process", or that they are "planted" is absurd. This is one of the most important and life-changing events in our history. We are seeing people take a stand for something they believe in. This is democracy in action. Not a "fringe" group. If people are going to be condemned for speaking out, how does that encourage citizen participation? Those of us who favor civic engagement are trying to encourage the public to participate and engage with their public officials but when they do they are labeled as Nazis and un-American. "Staged" displays of disruptive behavior? Your solution is to break up into smaller groups. I guess you could do that. My solution: give people a forum. Let them know they will have an opportunity to speak. Give them a microphone, have them take turns, and a time limit to state their case. Offer those who have a differing opinion from the first group the same courtesy. Listen to what they have to say. Of course this only works if those holding the meetings really and truly want to hear what their constituents think, which I suspect in a lot of cases they do not. There's probably a very good reason we're seeing this kind of behavior. People are fed up with having government shoved down their throats and fear another dismal, expensive, failed government-run program (USPS? Public housing? Public schools? Any history of success here? I think not.) What ever happened to freedom of speech? This is sort of like what happened a couple of hundred years ago...in England. While hysteria never furthers public policy it is easy to understand the emotional nature of some of those who are speaking up. But to suggest that if one speaks out at these meetings they must be “mobilizing specifically to disrupt the process”, or that they are “planted” is absurd. This is one of the most important and life-changing events in our history. We are seeing people take a stand for something they believe in. This is democracy in action. Not a “fringe” group. If people are going to be condemned for speaking out, how does that encourage citizen participation? Those of us who favor civic engagement are trying to encourage the public to participate and engage with their public officials but when they do they are labeled as Nazis and un-American. “Staged” displays of disruptive behavior?
Your solution is to break up into smaller groups. I guess you could do that.
My solution: give people a forum. Let them know they will have an opportunity to speak. Give them a microphone, have them take turns, and a time limit to state their case. Offer those who have a differing opinion from the first group the same courtesy. Listen to what they have to say. Of course this only works if those holding the meetings really and truly want to hear what their constituents think, which I suspect in a lot of cases they do not. There’s probably a very good reason we’re seeing this kind of behavior. People are fed up with having government shoved down their throats and fear another dismal, expensive, failed government-run program (USPS? Public housing? Public schools? Any history of success here? I think not.) What ever happened to freedom of speech? This is sort of like what happened a couple of hundred years ago…in England.

]]> By: Susan Partnow http://www.thataway.org/index.php/?p=1619&cpage=1#comment-134977 Susan Partnow Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:23:12 +0000 http://www.thataway.org/index.php/?p=1619#comment-134977 I love what you've written Marvin, and see a very useful role for those of us in the D&D community to offer our assistance in running the small groups. How can we get this out to our Congresspeople and quickly -- they are really under fire... I love what you’ve written Marvin, and see a very useful role for those of us in the D&D community to offer our assistance in running the small groups. How can we get this out to our Congresspeople and quickly — they are really under fire…

]]> By: Michael Gordon http://www.thataway.org/index.php/?p=1619&cpage=1#comment-134961 Michael Gordon Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:27:36 +0000 http://www.thataway.org/index.php/?p=1619#comment-134961 It has been so disconcerting to watch these staged displays of disruptive behavior. I appreciate this thoughtful discourse on the subject. One "tool" to use, along the lines of Dr. Carcasson's suggestions, is to utilize AmericaSpeaks. I participated in one of their public sessions on health care in CA, simultaneously with 8,000 participants in 8 cities. All done in small groups of 10, facilitated, clear and specific agendas, balanced set of participants (they work hard at attaining this mix). Check 'em out... It has been so disconcerting to watch these staged displays of disruptive behavior. I appreciate this thoughtful discourse on the subject.

One “tool” to use, along the lines of Dr. Carcasson’s suggestions, is to utilize AmericaSpeaks. I participated in one of their public sessions on health care in CA, simultaneously with 8,000 participants in 8 cities. All done in small groups of 10, facilitated, clear and specific agendas, balanced set of participants (they work hard at attaining this mix).

Check ‘em out…

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