BELLIGERENCE: Time to show meeting bullies the door

Attending any public forum around town these days is exhausting.

It seems that belligerence has run amok. I am shocked to see the behavior among certain adults at public meetings lately. It seems like any meeting that allows for public comment will have some citizens show up to use their minutes to rouse, heckle and harass. This abhorrent behavior has almost become commonplace amongst those in favor of cherry picking away the rights of some, while not wanting anyone to tread on their own coveted rights.

Repeat offenders are disrupting college board meetings, upheaving libraries, trying to ban books, trying to ban certain groups from gathering, attacking the LGBTQIA+ community… The list is growing each day, and these browbeaters are ready to tyrannize the next meeting to address it.

There is a clear weakness in your message if it can only be delivered by shouting and bullying others, with total disregard for the established manners of public decorum.

Threats and harassment of others has never been a protected form of speech. This authoritarian behavior is sprawling across town to meetings open for comment, and bylaws are being broken everywhere.

I have to wonder… When will someone cut the microphone? How far does a belligerent person have to go before they are removed from the meeting? When are the elected officials responsible for governing these meetings going to stop giving discriminatory, uncivilized and threatening individuals a platform? It’s time to show the erratic, the exit.

BETSY KOVATCH

Coeur d’Alene