TOWN HALL: Do we deserve any less respect?

As an attendee of the recent legislative forum at Coeur d’Alene High School, I can say without hesitation, there is no “mystery” about what happened there. Soon after the legislators began giving their individual updates concerning bills and events happening in Boise this session, about half of those in attendance, individually at first, then corporally, began shouting to/over the speakers, expressing their disapproval with what was being said. They were not there to listen respectfully, or have their questions answered at a time of the forum host’s choosing (which he stated early on could be with individual legislators *after* the event concluded); their purpose was to shout them down and prevent them from speaking, which they did for a time, but ultimately not completely. Is that “freedom of speech” behavior? I think not. Would the Coeur d’Alene city council tolerate such behavior at one of their meetings? I’m sure they would not, and disruptors who refused orders to stop would be removed from its chambers. Do our elected state representatives, and those of us who came to actually hear and learn some things about this legislative session, deserve any less respect? The law-abiding public were the “victims” here, not the disruptive mob.

TED TURRENTINE

Coeur d’Alene