Civility in Public Discourse

Glen Kezwer earnestly advocates respect and dignity for each human being, based on the recognition of the one Divinity within all of us and epitomised by the Indian greeting, ‘Namaste’

- Glen Kezwer

Recently, I was watching a Congressional hearing in which a member of the US House of representatives was questioning a well-respected expert, who was a witness. The questioner was aggressive, intimidating, harsh, bullying, combative, and regularly interrupted the witness, treating him as if he was some sort of an evil person and, possibly, even an enemy. Throughout the process, the witness himself remained reasonably calm and stuck to his testimony and area of expertise.

As I watched, I began to think that the witness, even though he was appearing publicly before Congress, did not have to accept such a behaviour. He had come to present his understanding of a certain situation and had the right to be addressed in a civil manner.

I imagined a response he could have given:

“Congressman, I would like you to consider the fact that I am a human being just as you are. We both breathe the same air, view the world with a pair of eyes, live on the same planet, and are members of the same family of humanity. As such, I believe I am entitled to the same dignity and courtesy that I will accord to you. “You have addressed me in an intimidating and hostile manner and have continually tried to put words in my mouth. People will hear the words you are attributing to me, and even though they are not mine, by mere juxtaposition, they will conclude that these represent my views. This is definitely not the case. In addition, what you have attributed to me is the kind of thing that has caused people to send death threats to me and my family. Your inferring that these are my ideas will exacerbate this situation. Is it your wish that members of my family or I be harassed or even killed?