Putting civility back in civic discourse

It’s no revelation that civic discourse in this country is anything but civil, with regular displays of profanity, racism and even violence.

In 2016, our once and would-be future president offered to pay legal fees for supporters in Iowa if they got violent with protesters. As president, he encouraged police officers to get rough with people they arrested — “Please don’t be nice” — and whipped up a mob ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Greg Gianforte pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault for body-slamming a reporter on the eve of a special congressional election in Montana in 2017. He still won the election and is now governor of Montana.

In 2019, an anti-vaccine activist hurled a cup of blood at state senators from a public gallery in the state Capitol in Sacramento.

Just this week, a man armed with a metal baseball bat attacked two employees, one a young intern on her first day of work, in the district office of a Virginia congressman.

There are too many examples of coarse language, threats and outright violence to list them all. And while we might want to believe such things can’t happen here, Sonoma County isn’t exempt from the disheartening trend in public behavior.

The most recent Santa Rosa Board of Education meeting was interrupted by a despicable display of racism.

During an otherwise routine business on May 10, two racial slurs — we won’t repeat them — were directed at school board member Ed Sheffield by an online participant before another board member interceded.

“We do not tolerate hate speech in this district,” board member Alegria De La Cruz said. “Please cut his microphone.”

Sheffield is the longest-serving member of the school board and the parent of two children in Santa Rosa schools. He didn’t respond to the ugly comments and has no need to defend his record of service to the community.

The speaker, who wasn’t on camera, identified himself as Shelby Pryor — a name familiar to local elected officials, some of whom have been subjected to inflammatory and even threatening remarks at public meetings.

In the case of Supervisor James Gore, the comments extended to his wife and children. In June, the county secured a court order prohibiting Pryor from going within 100 yards of Gore, his family, their home, vehicles and schools.

Judge Patrick Broderick ruled that Pryor made “a credible threat” against Gore and prohibited Pryor from owning, possessing or buying firearms or ammunition for the three-year duration of the order.

Despite his behavior, Pryor still is allowed to speak at public meetings. Whatever his grievances are, he shouldn’t expect anyone to listen if he chooses threats and racists slurs over civil discourse.

The National Council for Social Studies defines civil discourse as “a conversation in which there is a mutual airing of views. It is not a contest, and is rather intended to promote mutual understanding.”

Sheffield and most other local elected officials receive little or no compensation for long hours devoted to studying issues and budgets, meeting with constituents and making policy decisions. They didn’t sign up to be insulted or threatened. Neither did officials, elected or otherwise, who are paid full-time salaries for public service.

Politics can get emotional, and disagreements go with the territory. But free speech entails mutual respect, and there is never any justification for racist remarks, threats or violence.

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