Civil discourse helps calm disagreements

Some 75 people spent a beautiful Saturday morning engaged in the essential activity of citizenship at Civil Discourse in the Public Arena, a workshop coordinated by the League of Women Voters, Skagit County. Modeling participation were County Commissioner Ron Wesson, Mount Vernon Mayor Jill Boudreau and Sedro-Woolley city councilman Karl de Jong, among attending elected officials.

Keynote speaker Amy Young, chair of the Communication and Theatre Department at Pacific Lutheran University, noted that our contentious political moment is calmer than the 1850s. Then a South Carolina Senator caned – beat badly – an abolitionist colleague from Massachusetts. While “politeness and courtesy in behavior and speech” is the textbook definition of civility, Young stressed that those in power set the norm and call breakers of their rules “uncivil.” Civil disobedience thus upsets the status quo, which is not “fair” to all parties.

The Founding Fathers had a “fear of the people,” Young said. Civility is a tool to restrain and limit the masses from power. Young warned of being kept down by calls for civility used to police “unequal behavior.” Needed is honesty and transparency by all parties all the time.

A panel discussion with six diverse speakers was, probably unsurprisingly, in agreement that people need to participate, they must be heard and that respect and a willingness by all parties to listen is key.

Lt. Mikel Moore of the Mount Vernon Police Department shared his decades of experience in de-escalating personal conflict. Emotions get lowered when facts are focused on.

Mount Vernon City Councilwoman Iris Carias spoke to the fear people in immigrant communities have, sharing that “changes come when we are part of the community and listened to with respect.” Mount Vernon School District Superintendent Carl Bruner and Colette Weeks, director of content for Skagit Publishing, agreed.

Rev. Helen McPeak of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church moderated the panel.

The audience then broke into small groups for discussions considering civil discourse in their lives and communities.

Five more workshops will culminate in a daylong problem solving session in October. The June 14 event is at Skagit Valley College.

The next civil discourse event — Overview of Conflict Resolution and Large Problem Solving — will take place from from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 14 at Lewis Hall on the Skagit Valley College campus. This event was at Northwest Career & Technical Academy at the College. The series is a collaboration between the League, the Skagit County Dispute Resolution Center and Volunteers of America.

For more information: http://www.skagitlwv.org/