Of Civility And Citizenship

To the Editor:

In his book, Choosing Civility, P.M. Forni writes, “Civility derives from the Latin civitas which means ‘city,’ especially in the sense of civic community.... The assumption behind civility is that life in the city has a civilizing effect... And as we are shaped by the city, we learn to give of ourselves for the sake of the city... Although we can describe the civil as courteous, polite, and well-mannered, etymology reminds us that (in being civil) we are also supposed to be good citizens and good neighbors.”

In the August 21 edition of The Bee, I was pleased to read Al Roznicki’s letter sent to Anna Wiedemann, and to The Bee for publication. [Letter Hive, “Room For Improvement.”] In it, Mr Roznicki explained the IPN’s response to Mrs Wiedemann’s criticisms. While I don’t agree with some of what Mr Roznicki said, I was gratified by the tone of his comments.

Since being elected to the Legislative Council nearly two years ago, I’ve become increasingly concerned about the character of public discourse. At times public comments have been verbal missiles hurled to assault the character of others. On different occasions members of all three political parties have been responsible. The effects of such attacks on public officials and town employees have been chilling. Many people become defensive and retreat from active involvement in helping to move the town forward, or become aggressive and attack after being attacked. Neither response serves Newtown.

Several weeks ago the editorial featured in Editorial Ink Drops asked voters to examine the ideas of those running for public office. I agree. Political campaigns should be characterized by the vigorous competition of ideas. That is part of what creates good government. To that end, I pledge to discuss the challenges facing the town without attacking specific individuals, and I ask that all of those running for public office do the same.

As P.M. Forni astutely observed, civility isn’t merely a matter of being “courteous, polite, and well-mannered.” It’s what “we’re supposed to do as good neighbors and good citizens.” Being civil is what’s good for Newtown. It’s what voters deserve.

Sincerely,

Jan Lee Brookes

Legislative Council - District 3

Candidate for the Legislative Council-District 3

38 Hundred Acres Road, Newtown                       September 1, 2009