Speak your mind, but please do it civilly

Let them protest, but let it be done in an orderly fashion.

The best way to do that on Hilton Head Island is for the town to have in writing a standard procedure for protest or rally requests.

Last week, Town Council said it would do that. It’s surprising that this was not already in place.

The issue came up when a group called Lowcountry Indivisible said it wanted to peacefully and respectfully rally against Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner’s proposal to enforce federal immigration laws. Tanner hit a nerve in the community when he said he wanted to reinstate the 287(g) Program, which allows specially trained deputies to enforce federal immigration law — including investigation, apprehension or detention of immigrants who are in the United States illegally.

The ralliers were smart to call Town Hall, but the lack of written procedures needlessly helped turn the conversation sour.

They were further miffed that the town attorney called Tanner before they even had permission to protest.

We don’t see that as a problem. The town is wise to alert law enforcement. And there is nothing wrong with Tanner reaching out to the protesters, not only to scope the task at hand but to have a dialogue on his 287(g) proposal. A face-to-face conversation could do more to address concerns than standing by the street holding signs. Both are legitimate.

Mayor David Bennett requested staff formalize the protest procedures. “I don’t think the town would ever treat someone inequitably, but I want to make sure there is no option for them to think that,” he said.

We live in contentious times, and both government representatives and the public must take extra steps to be sure they express concerns civilly.

U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford twice faced the public recently at town hall gatherings in Beaufort County, and we held our breath hoping they would not devolve into shouting matches like we’ve seen in other parts of the country. By and large, they went well.

A new group on Hilton Head saying it represents the interests of native islanders says it will protest during the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing.

The best way for this surge of passionate public interest in public affairs to remain civil is to be sure all the ground rules are clear. The Town of Hilton Head Island needs to quickly get that task behind it.

This story was originally published March 26, 2017 at 4:00 AM with the headline "Speak your mind, but please do it civilly."