What are the limits on a representative’s duty to speak with a member of the public? How far does the right of the citizen go to question representatives? I don’t know, but there is an article in the Muncie Star Press about a situation that’s probably in the grey area.
Rep. Dennis Tyler (D-Muncie) was out and about and was confronted by Chris Hiatt, a tax repeal activist who was also out and about. Hiatt apparently took exception to something Tyler had said at a candidate forum about Conrad Urban’s candidacy for Delaware county treasurer. Tyler and Hiatt exchanged words, a video camera shows some finger pointing by Tyler; then Tyler attempts to walk away. Hiatt follows him and continues talking. Video shows more talking and finger pointing. Hiatt is claiming that Tyler used some naughty language and that he was waiting for Tyler to “take a swing” at him. Tyler acknowledges that a verbal confrontation took place but denies making any threats against Hiatt.
“That’s just not true,” Tyler said. “Hell, I’m 65 years old. I haven’t been in a fight in 30 years and I’m not looking for any.”
Elected officials have a duty to provide information to citizens and to respond to their concerns, but I’m not sure that extends to a duty to stand around and listen to a citizen’s abuse. An elected official probably has the right to walk away, and the citizen probably has a duty to let him. Just like in any other situation, if a guy tries to walk away and you don’t let him and violence subsequently erupts, you’re going to bear a substantial portion of the blame.
And what the hell is going on in Delaware County? Seems like violence or threats of violence are frequently part of the political equation.
An Indianapolis GOP activist and blowhard, Ernie Shearer, has been trying the same tactics against Congressman André Carson…
Muncie is rough and they play politics rough over there. For many years there was a split in the Democratic Party that was brutal – getting caught between the two factions was like being in noi man’s land in WW 1.
Tyler is a good man.
And everyone has the right to walk away from a verbal confrontation of any sort. When a man or woman signs on to represent us, they do not give up their basic rights. We would do well to remember that.
Historical tradition. From the Senate.gov website:
Interesting to note is that Sumner, was an anti-slavery Republican who had just previous to the incident been deriding two South Carolina pro-slavery Democrats (one a relative of Brooks).
I believe brawls and fist-fights still routinely break out in England’s parliment.
You’d think those “tax repeal activists” would hassle a Republican politician once in a while–you know, members of that party which keeps claiming tax cuts as part of its agenda, and frequently fails to deliver.
Unless, that is, the only taxes the repeal activists really care about have already been cut enough to suit them. Bush and his Republican Congress evidently did yeoman work on those.
Doug, you’re the lawyer, so let me ask you this: isn’t there a legal concept of “fighting words”? Like, if you say something about my mother, and I punch you in the face, my defense is that they were fighting words, and what the heck did you expect me to do when you said that?
If a politician gets in someones face because that person called the politician a Nazi, for example, I don’t have a problem with that. F-bomb, too.
We bemoan the low level of political discourse in this country, but part of the problem is that people feel free to throw around some pretty disgusting adjectives. Perhaps if they felt a little threatened, they’d be more polite.
You know, just like how drivers in conceal carry states are more polite than those in non-carry states.
“An armed society is a polite society.” I don’t consider myself an advocate for this philosophy. But I can’t deny it has a certain amount of truth. I had a class about 12 years ago about the Internet. One day we were talking about its culture and flame wars and whatnot. I suggested that Internet culture was different from “real” culture in part because you weren’t risking a punch in the nose when you said something out of bounds.
I haven’t dealt with the “fighting words” issue in a long time. I’m not sure I’ve ever understood the parameters very clearly (making me wonder if the courts have defined the concept very clearly.) But, I’m fairly sure that you have an obligation to let a guy walk away if he tries to do so.