Letter: Civil discourse? Where and when?
A recent letter, “Leaders don’t do boycotts,” asks the question: “Whatever happened to civil discourse, the willingness to listen to the opposition, if for no other reason than to understand their position?”
The writer is shocked at the behavior of those protesting the inauguration and installation of Donald Trump as our president. Where were you for the past eight years?
We had eight years of unending assault on the legitimacy of the Barack Obama presidency, with the stated goal of blocking at each and every turn any and all legislative initiatives.
Where was this letter when Joe Wilson affronted many people’s sensibilities by calling out “You lie” during the State of the Union address?
Where was there any semblance of respect and cooperation during the past eight years as people disparaged the sitting president with an “alternative facts” birther “controversy,” or pretending he was secretly a Muslim undermining America’s interests?
And “elected officials are role models”? If I had children, I would hope and pray that they didn’t behave like moral reprobates, which is my view of our new president.
Hal Cherry
Hilton Head Island
This story was originally published January 25, 2017 at 1:30 PM with the headline "Letter: Civil discourse? Where and when?."