Opinion: Let’s Be Civil

Just over half of the registered voters in Placer County cast ballots in the November 2014 election.  Only 41% of voters across California turned out.  Those numbers do not include another 25% of Placer County’s eligible voters who remain unregistered. 

Weak voter turnout across our country can be attributed to mistrust of government inflamed by a lack of civil discussion.  A Pew poll in January 2014 found 75% of Americans trusted the federal government to do what is right “only some of the time” or “never”.  In Sept 2014, a Gallop poll revealed Americans estimate Washington wastes fifty-one cents for every dollar it spends.

⤥ Summer Fun Starts Here ⤦

⤥ Summer Fun Starts Here ⤦

⤥ Summer Fun Starts Here ⤦

⤥ Summer Fun Starts Here ⤦

Accelerating the decline of citizen engagement in our government are two notable demographic shifts underway; Millennials maturing into adults and immigrants from within the Hispanic community.

More than half of the Millennials in our country are uninvolved with government policy.  For their entire lives disrespectful discourse among adults, including candidates and government officials, has been the norm.  The general sentiment in society teaches them not to trust politicians. “Couldn’t lead a puppy to a hamburger” and “Absolutely delusional, she has disqualified herself to be commander in chief” are actual quotes from a democratic politician and a republican politician.  This is just a mild sampling of daily political “rhetoric” many have learned to ignore.  It is no wonder our young adults are disinterested or even repelled by this behavior and do not want to participate.

Many young people entering adulthood and the political world are surprisingly uninformed about how government works and their connection to it.  Traditional civics courses based largely on history in textbooks do not motivate involvement.  Teaching students how they can use the government to change things would be more effective. 

Another demographic shift contributing to declining civic involvement are immigration trends. In the next 15 years, it is estimated that eligible Hispanic voters in California will increase to 53% while 30% will be white.  Politicians understand these growth trends well.  Meg Whitman spent $20 million to reach the Spanish-speaking population in her campaign for governor, but her position against education of the undocumented lost her votes from the Latino community.  President Obama’s websites lack Spanish translation of fact sheets and policies while it is clearly states in English that he supports Latinos.

To appeal to those it proposes to help, Hispanic policy currently lacking in tangible content must become an immigration-integration policy.  For example, Latinos stop speaking Spanish by 2nd grade and are not given the opportunity to study it again until high school.   Many Latinos choose to come here because they believe in democracy, even though it costs more than $2,000 to naturalize.  Unable to identify policy relevant to their lives, a mere 30% of registered Hispanic voters actually vote.

Incorporated into a non-participating culture, immigrants learn not to engage, in a way that is similar to that of the Millenials.  When Hispanics, who eventually make up more than half of eligible voters and only vote a third of the time are combined with a younger population who are not engaged, it causes one to wonder how much lower voter participation will go before our system becomes illegitimate.
By age sixteen, George Washington had copied by hand 10 Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior In Company And Conversation numerous times in penmanship class. The most substantial problem of civic involvement can be rectified by simply following the first rule.

Rule #1: Every action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect to those that are present.

Civility in our democracy is not about squelching assertiveness, protest, civil disobedience or rigorous discussion of issues.  Civil deliberation is a set of attitudes, behaviors, and skills that support thoughtful acts and values-based discussions when community members and public officials come to the table to talk.  Civil discussions occur when we are able to regulate the cognitive and emotional information necessary to bring our best selves to the task of talking about challenging issues.  Complicated problems like water and homelessness require inescapable tradeoffs, made in a way that is mutually constructive, respectful and courteous. 

Only by considering all sides is it possible to make progress while keeping everyone’s dignity and rights intact.  If people feel a need to harbor hatred for those on the other side, so be it.  But it is best if ugly remarks are kept to themselves as a courtesy to everyone else.

Dwight D. Eisenhower advised, “We need to celebrate diversity of thought, not pummel those with whom we may disagree. Civil discourse should be, above all else, civil.” 

Ask your representatives on the city council, the county board of supervisors and in Congress what they are doing to promote civil discourse in their district.  After all, everybody honors he who honors everybody else.