To the Editor,
Watching political figures at each other's throats can trigger anger, anxiety, and distrust in government. It may also be a vital tool for engaging a busy and distracted electorate.
Democracy isn't always pretty, but most Canadians say they expect their politicians to engage in civil discourse.
Incivility can be hard to define, especially because what's unspeakably rude to one person might be normal banter to another. But incivility in the political sphere is defined as discourse that would violate social norms if it occurred in a nonpolitical context. Gratuitously insulting or inflammatory remarks qualify as uncivil by just about anyone's standard. Interrupting someone in an angry tone — a standard feature of almost any political show on TV — registers in our brains as a sign of rudeness.
Rudeness gets under our skin, even when we're not the target. People don't like seeing others treated poorly, Many may attest to finding that uninvolved witnesses of incivility report emotional responses of fear and anger comparable to those experienced by direct targets.
Incivility in the political realm is no less potent in stirring up anger and anxiety. And it spreads: People who witness politicians behaving rudely, and particularly those who feel angry as a result, are more likely to speak coarsely in their own political conversations. In that regard, Incivility is like a virus.
Democracy demands more than eyeballs and opinions. Hand wringing about incivility often fails to account for its power. Few ever thought that democracy was for the faint of heart. Most thought it was going to be tough and rollicking.
While there's value in debating where the line should be drawn, there's a price to pay for getting tied up in knots about how things are said.
William Perry,
Victoria, B.C.
