welcome/opinion
from the editor...
april13
2010
It seems like every year around this time, we
all find ourselves talking about the crazy and unusual
weather around here. Which probably means that cra-
zy spring weather really isn’t that unusual in Vernonia.
I don’t have anything more to add to the conversation
that you’ve probably already had down at the coffee
shop or over breakfast at Mariolino’s or Cafe 47, ex-
cept if it’s not raining, snowing, hailing or blowing...
and sunny-- all within the same hour-- then you’re
probably not in Vernonia this spring.
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Don’t forget to attend our “Meet The Candi-
dates” event, a political forum with candidates who
are running for Columbia County Commissioner. The
event will be held on April 15th at 7:00 P.M. at the
Vernonia Community Learning Center. It will include
questions for the candidates from a pre-selected panel
of local residents, as well as a chance to mingle with
the candidates and ask your own questions. This spe-
cial event is sponsored by Vernonia’s Voice.
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I wanted to take the opportunity to say a heart-
felt “Thank You “once again to our many regular con-
tributors to Vernonia’s Voice. Since we increased our from all around our region. As a small, family-run op-
publishing schedule from once to twice each month this eration, it’s impossible for us to be everywhere all the
past January, things have gotten a little more intense and time. Without the help of all our community members
fast-paced around here. And like everyone else, we too we couldn’t do what we do.
have lots of other obligations besides work-- friends,
family, volunteerism, and maybe even time for a little
Scott Laird
fun every once in awhile. So, I just want to say once
Editor and Publisher
again how much I appreciate the time devoted
and dedication that our contributors have shown
to this publication. Having their expertise, tal-
ent, and ideas-- their voices, really makes this
whole thing happen each month. We’ve had reg-
ular contributors come and go, and all of them
have been a big part of our existence, our growth
and our success. Without our contributors, we
would not be able to do what we do each issue.
Publisher and Managing Editor
So once again, a big Thank You to: April Bam-
Scott Laird
burg, Nancy Burch, Kim Camarda, Dawn Carr,
503-367-0098
Heather Lewis, DeAnna Pearl, Shannon Rom-
scott@vernoniasvoice.com
tvedt, Sonia Spackman, Burt Tschache, Teresa
Williams and the many others who have made
Contributors
News Editor
regular contributions to this publication.
Nancy
Burch
Scott
Laird
I would also like to say thank you to ev-
Kim
Camarda
eryone who sends us information, photos,updates
Dawn Carr
and reminders about news, activities and events
Copy Editor
Rich Harwood
Dennis Nicks
Rob Izzett
Jessica Jensen Jones
Photography
DeAnna Pearl
There’s enough hatred to go around these
Scott Laird
Shannon
Romtvedt
days; there’s also ample belief that the person on
Burt
Tschache
the other side of the debate from us is just plain stu-
An Opinion: When Incivility Rules
By Rich Harwood
March 30, 2010
In recent days, many people have urged me
to write about the acrimonious and divisive public
discourse that has gripped the nation around health
care. But each time someone has made this request,
I found that they themselves would engage in some
form of incivility. The question is: Where are we
right now, and where do we want to go?
Whether you like the legislation or not, the
passage of the historic health care bill has revealed
glimpses of the worst in us. You’ll remember that
much of the nation’s discord hit a noticeable low
during last summer’s infamous town hall meetings.
Perhaps then we thought the worst of our lousy
discourse was over; and yet now we know that as-
sumption would have been wrong. In just the past
week we’ve reached new lows as we’ve witnessed
the spewing of homophobic and racist comments,
and with some congressional members being la-
beled “baby killers.”
I hear such comments and wonder what
has gotten into those who utter them, those who re-
peat them, and those who egg others on. Yes, we’ve
heard such hatred at times in the past; but does that
fact make such comments good and right now? And
what makes matters worse today is our ability to
communicate at any moment and reach millions of
people at once. One ugly comment then begets an-
other, and on and on it goes.
During the 1990s, I was not one of those
in the civic world who embraced what might have
been deemed the “civility movement.” I cringed
when people would associate my own work and ef-
forts with civility. I thought there was a kind of Miss
Manners’ notion at play – if only each of us would
be “nice” to one another, then the world would be
a better place. But political discourse ought to be
filled with tension, drama, and emotion; after all,
when people care about something, they get worked
up.
But that was then, and this is now. Today,
our public discourse seems filled with hatred and
rage, at times unmitigated and unfiltered, even
reckless, often ridiculous. The Glenn Beck’s of
the world lather people up into a tizzy, oftentimes
seeming to have forgotten their original point, other
than to destroy their so-called opponent. Those on
the left are not immune from such criticism either.
But perhaps the larger point is that none of
us are immune – that is, those who purport to want
to move the country forward, and those who cher-
ish some semblance of good, if not heated, public
discourse. So many of the people who asked me to
write this piece did so, themselves, using the word
“hate” or “stupid” or “idiot” in the same sentence as
their request – as in, “I hate those stupid idiots who
say….”
3
pid – perhaps even an idiot. But we don’t gain any-
thing by engaging in such discourse. In fact, we lose
something each time we go down that ugly path. No
one individual controls public discourse; but each
of us contributes to it.
No one can put a halt to the hatred we are
now witnessing; but none of us has to help in its
spread. No one should stop expressing their heart-
felt emotions about something as important as
health care; but none of us should believe that any-
thing goes in public discourse.
Our negative comments spread
like a contagion, gaining more and more
momentum when left unchecked, and can
leave us sick to our stomach and doubled-
over. It’s time to swear off such comments
and stand-up straight. So here’s a test I
urge you to consider: When you make your
point, do so with as much emotion and ten-
sion as necessary, but can we leave the ha-
tred behind?
Reprinted with permission. Richard C.
Harwood is the founder of The Harwood
Institute for Public Innovation, a non-profit,
non-partisan organization that seeks noth-
ing less than to spark fundamental change
and authentic hope in American public life.
The Harwood Institute is today a leading
change organization, recognized nationally
for a unique approach to breaking down
barriers and empowering people to make
progress in improving their communities.
For more information go to www.thehar-
woodinstitute.org
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