Have you ever persuaded anyone to see things from your point of view by yelling at them?
I’m guessing that you haven’t. Sure, you may have elicited some form of short-term compliance, but your views will most likely not be adopted in earnest.
So what happens inside of you when someone tries this tactic? Do you enjoy it? Are you down with derision?
Of course not.
This is the problem with our current political environment. There has always been boorish behavior in politics, but beginning with the Town Halls last August, this has become the primary means by which some constituents communicate with their elected officials.
I’m not talking about tough questions here. Those are perfectly fine. Politicians should be accountable for their voting records and they should be prepared to respond to questions about those decisions.
What I’m talking about is the yelling, the shout-downs, the threats, and the refusal to allow other interested parties from expressing their views. It’s a mob mentality that is promulgated by the loudest voices in the group.
“You’re either with us or against us.”
This stance was ludicrous when it was uttered by President Bush in 2001 and it is ludicrous today.
There are countless examples where one could be neither with nor against someone or something. This isn’t wishy-washiness; it is simply the realization that not every situation is conducive to taking sides.
The world is just not that simple.
Politicians have thick skins. Anyone who believes that an angry crowd sways these professional schemers in any way is fooling themselves. The primary concern of a politician is getting reelected. Their path to reelection does not go through a Town Hall meeting. It never has. This is why many have decided not to hold these meetings at all. They are not productive.
The situation is worsened if your representative is not seeking reelection because this eliminates your phantom leverage altogether.
Contributions drive the process.
If their campaign coffers are filled, they can flood the airwaves with ads and shape their message. Truth telling is not a requirement for campaign ads. No amount of screaming is going to trump the ad blitz leading up to Election Day.
My suggestion: Don’t give yourself agita — save your breath, tone down the rhetoric, and express yourself at the ballot box.
It’s the only surefire way to get a politician’s attention.
Author Bio:
Ray Colon has written 136 posts on Ray's Blog.
He works with numbers for a living, but don't judge - boring accountants need love too. His blog has no niche (unless writing about things that are important to him is a niche). Some folks cringe when he gets “all political” on them, but he does it anyway when he's in that kind of mood. Sometimes, he writes something nice about someone, but you shouldn't get used to that. His first book, the one he hasn't written yet, is not available on Amazon. Subscribe to Ray's Blog via RSS or Email.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Screaming doesn’t help people hear? Shocking!
You think? I don’t know. There are lots of folks who will gladly scream their disagreement with that notion.
Ray
Your parting advice is so true. A vote is much more powerful than shouting and making a fool of yourself. J
Thanks, Jennifer. Let’s hope that folks do get out and vote. There’s usually such a low turnout, as people opt to exclude themselves from the process. Ray