'Drama words' make shutdown even worse

Dear Senator Risch,

I'm hoping that you're deluged with contacts from other citizens who are incensed and disheartened by the shutdown of the federal government. I won't characterize the behavior of this Congress as childish because many of the children I know are better able and willing to identify and model skills that would result in better outcomes.

For instance, the inflammatory rhetoric (or what I call 'drama words' when I'm teaching kids about communication skills) on your website, like calling the Affordable Care Act an "abomination." Kids in middle school and even younger can easily pick out the 'dissing' and 'trash talk' that they hear adults use when they read websites and newspaper articles, even when they don't know the meaning of the word without looking it up. Many kids can appropriately identify that this kind of communication incites anger and have said they'd be more likely to be mad, not listen, and want to respond in kind when someone they disagree with uses 'drama words'. All in all, they know it's not productive and only creates an 'us against them' or adversarial interaction.

Senator McCain's recent speech on the Senate floor articulates his sentiment that "All of us should respect the outcome of elections that reflect the will of the people." He also concedes that "We fought as hard as we could, and we lost."

The action of attempting to block the Affordable Care Act by blocking funding for the bill that was passed, and causing a government shutdown is selfish in that it is not affecting your pay, yet it is profoundly affecting many people who may have great difficulty absorbing the impact. Even if you chose to share the burden of the shutdown you've caused yourselves by furloughing the Senate (and House?) - senators are likely in a better position to manage the financial impact.

A definition of bullying according to Merriam-Webster.com is: To cause (someone) to do something by making threats or insults or by using force. Imagine those of us who work with children trying to explain that bullying is a 'lose/lose' proposition, and that selfishness and uncooperative attitudes and behaviors aren't the way to achieve shared goals. Parents and professionals frequently help cope with a child's realization of some hypocrisy in adult behavior, however, on the level of those in elected office, and regarding a clear mandate to implement a passed bill, it undermines the credibility of trusted adults as role models.

The viability of the ACA may be somewhat uncertain, but caring for everyone's physical and mental health needs is in the best interest of all of us for many reasons. The ACA is a step in that direction, and an inclusive plan to provide that care has not been viably implemented before this bill passed. Your website contains the statement: "I will continue fighting to replace this law with workable, patient-centered, affordable health care legislation." I'm not a devotee of politics, so perhaps I've missed any plan that you've created and brought to fruition? It's comparatively easy to criticize another's creation or idea - it is much harder to risk creating and implementing it in the first place, particularly in a hostile environment. I applaud the courage and effort it takes to actually do something to create and support the value of compassion and make health care for all happen. Please don't continue to thwart that effort. I ask you to use your own resourcefulness, creativity, and collaborative energies to propose enhancements or changes as we have a chance to see how it works.

As legislators, your values and behavior are, fortunately or not, going to influence young people. I hope that in 20 years I won't be watching CSPAN from my rest home rocking chair while the children I worked with back in 2013 sit at loggerheads in Congress, refusing to share or collaborate, calling each other names, vehemently criticizing ideas, obfuscating rational discussion with drama language, and avoiding responsibility while pointing their fingers at each other saying "Well ... she did it first!" and dumping over the game board when they don't win.

Liz Johnston is a Coeur d'Alene resident.