Don’t Demonize Our Democracy

Last spring, Americans jolted horribly awake to a reminder that government workers are human. They have families. They coach soccer, volunteer for Meals on Wheels, gripe about the boss, loan tools to their neighbors, pray. And when a bomb goes off at their place of employment, they die, leaving loved ones and the nation to grieve and cope with the loss.

The bombing in Oklahoma City showed how easy it is for government-bashing, a long and rowdy tradition in American politics, to get so overheated it sprouts the seeds of terrorism.

This week, a fake bomb, labeled with a Nazi flag, was planted outside the federal courthouse in Spokane. This was more than a prank. By sending a threat to government employees, it symbolized, again, how cheap our political discourse has become.

It’s one thing to disagree over policy. It’s another to demonize groups or individuals with whom we disagree.

When we brand someone a “non-essential” government worker, a liberal, or a religious nut, we might have good reason. Or, we might be skipping an opportunity to find out what others think and why.

Terrorism is the ultimate in political laziness and intellectual bankruptcy. While nearly all of us deplore terrorism, to what extent have we all tolerated the shallow anti-government ravings that encourage it? Granted, vigorous political debate is a healthy thing. It’s how democracy breathes. But as rhetoric becomes so hot and shallow that we’re not listening any more, our government, on which social stability depends, enters a danger zone.

Take a deep breath. Consider what government workers do: They arrest drunken drivers, direct airline traffic, haul garbage, manage wildlife, teach school, guard prisons, maintain roads, refuel jet fighters, inspect meat packing plants, collect unpaid child support, treat mentally ill street people, answer our crabby questions about the 1040 form, investigate terror groups, and more.

They don’t do any of these things perfectly, Lord knows. Which makes them human, like their critics. And now there’s debate about whether they should do some of these things at all. Fine, let’s debate. But in a climate heated enough to breed terrorism, there’s a question for all of us to think about: How can we get the debate onto a level worthy of government’s important role?

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = John Webster/For the editorial board