State Rep. Palm Urges 'A Call For Civility'

Press release from State Rep. Palm:

Dec. 21, 2020

Dear Neighbor,

The towns in our district are bucolic, pollution-free, well-managed, home to excellent schools, and have among the lowest crime rates of all 169 Connecticut municipalities. But these days, like so many small towns across America, they are experiencing a darker reality, and it needs to be called out.

Consider these incidents which have occurred over the last year:

• An elected town official repeatedly posted racist, homophobic and misogynistic memes on Facebook.
• Contentious debate roiled a town meeting over the recommendation to appoint as a special constable someone who one year earlier abruptly stopped his truck at a busy intersection, jumped out and accosted a small group of people holding a peaceful vigil in support of Black Lives Matter.
• When an outspoken resident criticized the sudden appearance of numerous American flags throughout downtown, she was threatened with violence for expressing her opinion.
• A woman of color was terrified to vote in person because of the number of times she had been followed home and threatened.
• Some children in our school systems have endured repeated, documented attacks on them because of the color of their skin or their gender expression.
• The debate about removal of Native American images from our schools exposed a deep vein of intolerance.
• And most recently, in their outrage over the possible dismissal of a local football coach from his coaching position for participating in a private league – despite guidance by the Department of Public Health against playing “high risk” sports during the pandemic, with our schools experiencing the quarantine of teachers and students – the coach’s supporters attacked Board of Education members – who are not responsible for personnel decisions – with comments so threatening that police presence was necessary at their homes.

It’s no secret that national discourse over the past four years has modeled such disrespect, bullying and intimidation. But as we enter a new year, and a new administration, I am hopeful all our leaders will model the kind of behavior we want to see in our towns and in one another.

Make no mistake – the First Amendment protects our right to dissent. But it does not protect “free speech” that is libelous or threatens another’s safety. The right to disagree and express differing opinions is among the bedrocks of civil society. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. We’re talking about extreme hostility and downright threats of physical harm.

There is a way to disagree constructively. It starts with making sure we have our facts straight and thinking twice before posting scurrilous attacks. We’d all do well to try to see our own behavior through our children’s eyes. Much of the disintegration of what some nostalgically see as “small town values” began with the advent of social media. The toxic anonymity of the virtual world, which often gives people the courage they lack in real life, has replaced respectful civic engagement. And this is true regardless of party affiliation or viewpoint.

Tranquility and quality of life in our towns depend upon this simple mathematical fact: just as most of us routinely stop at stop signs, far more neighbors hash out their differences over a fence than over Facebook. But it only takes a few squeaky wheels to derail the civic bus we all ride on. Remaining silent gives them an outsized influence over the town. Imagine if everyone who objects to racism, misogyny, transphobia and other forms of hate actually spoke up when they saw it.

What if more good-hearted, reasonable people respectfully confronted someone with whom they disagree, attended town meetings, testified publicly, ran for office, or volunteered for a local board or commission? That’s how we replace small-minded ripples with waves of change.

Please feel free to contact me by email at Christine.Palm@cga.ct.gov with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Christine Palm
State Representative

This press release was produced by State Rep. Palm. The views expressed here are the author's own.