THE IMPORTANCE OF CIVIL DISCOURSE

Monday evening an act “Civil Discourse” occurred
as member of our community gathered to hear three
individuals who have served this community well for
many years, met to discuss how they see the future
of our city and what they would hope to accomplish if
they are elected to continue to serve Texas City as a
Commissioners At Large.
I read something the other day that caused me to
feel a little tickle of hope for the political process as it
exists today. Governor Greg Abbott has very strong
views when it comes to marijuana, medical or not;
and he has been quite unapologetically vocal about
his position. In 2015 he said, “This is a law and order
state, we have been and will continue to be so.”
Whether you agree with his position or not, he is to be
commended for staying true to his beliefs. Fast forward
to the current kerfuffle over the Texas family that
moved to Colorado to get treatment for their child. It
was reported that when she met with him, Governor
Abbott “was open and receptive and more than willing
to listen to what we had to say.” Whether it was a
result of that meeting or not, the Governor’s position
has shifted. That is how it is supposed to work. An
open mind giving careful consideration to a subject
and then doing the work to learn more and act on
what is learned, based on the process. Governor Abbott
is a courageous man to have done so.
This is an example of civil discourse…
a willingness to listen to a different
opinion, consider it, and perhaps,
change your way of thinking, if only a
little. Unfortunately, Governor Abbott
is pretty much of a lone wolf. Taking
in information and responding to it is
now called “flip- flopping” and almost
any attempt to state an opinion that is
different from someone else is reason
enough to belittle, demean, threaten,
and dismiss that other individual.
Monday’s occurrence was nothing of
the kind. Perhaps that is because it
did not happen on Facebook, or Twitter.
It was not sponsored or hosted
by FOX or MSNBC. This was a local
event, where neighbors gathered to
listen to three people they know discuss
the important issues before us
as a city and a community.
How can we best support our Police
Department? What do we need to do
to improve our schools? What are we
doing to grow our community and what do we need
to do to continue to build on our relationship with local
industry? Where are we with Harvey recovery?
These and so many other topics need to be discussed
and considered and we as recipients of the
services provided to us through our city government,
have a responsibility to listen,
to learn, to question and to
get involved. We also have
a responsibility not to listen
to hyperbole an activity my
industry, I am embarrassed
to say, thrives on. We know
one another so we know that
a person is more than his job
or his church, her ethnicity or
her age. We know that people
are many faceted and just as
complex as the issues before
us in this race. We are comfortable
with the process of
disagreeing with one another
and we are much less likely
to judge one another based
on a single act or statement.
There is not a person in this
city that does not benefit from the work our civil servants
do. We owe them the respect of listening to
what they have to say, considering it, discussing it
with friends and family, learning what we can, seeking
out those with opinions that are different than our own
and, like Governor Abbott, being true to our beliefs
even as we keep our minds open to change. We have
a responsibility to them, to our city, our community,
our families and ourselves to do the work and to show
up at the polls and VOTE.
And if you cannot vote this time, commit to register
so you can participate in November. Civil Discourse
encourages civic engagement. Civic engagement
means getting involved. Our schools do what they
can by offering students the opportunity to participate
in organizations that mirror our city’s form of government.
Just recently, our TCISD Superintendent Rodney
Cavness, Ed.D, and the Texas City Police Department,
worked directly with a student organization,
PAC – Political Activism Club – to stage a walkout
in solidarity with the students of Florida’s Stoneman
Douglas High School who recently experienced an
active shooter incident. These types of decisions encourage
our young people to be engaged in the structure
and the running of our cities. As adults, we have
a responsibility to set a positive example for them by
becoming educated and engaged as well. Let us all
do our part to support the people who give of their
time , effort and expertise, to keep our city growing
and prospering.