Our View: Pierce town hall shows civility still works

Yahoo

07-05-2025

No shouting. No threats. No gross exaggerations. No rude interruptions.
State Rep. Kyle Pierce's town hall meeting at the Anderson Public Library in mid-April wasn't marred by any of the uncivil antics that characterized an earlier town hall meeting involving U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz, whose district includes the Madison County area.
The difference in the tenor of the two town halls can be explained, in part, by growing discontent with the federal policies and actions of President Trump and his supporters, and Spartz is an ardent one. In comparison, affairs at the state level generally generate less attention — and less venom.
Still, the stark differences in the two town halls is worth noting.
When elected officials meet publicly with constituents, the value of the meeting is largely determined by the attitudes of both the public official and the members of the public at the meeting.
If the elected official doesn't want to listen to criticism or won't answer questions in a straightforward manner, the meeting has little value. The same holds true if those attending a town hall have come to sling verbal barbs. In either case, the gathering can quickly devolve into shouting and generally rude behavior.
This happened at the Spartz town hall primarily because at least some members of the audience were determined to shout the congresswoman down. Spartz can be guilty, too, of inflexibility in her stated positions.
Other Republican office holders across the country have had similar experiences of late, leading the national GOP to discourage town hall-style meetings. But, to her credit, Spartz did it anyway.
The Pierce town hall, in contrast, was conducted with civility.
There were critics in the audience of about 40, including former state representatives Melanie Wright and Terri Austin, whom Pierce unseated during a heated campaign back in 2022. They raised pointed criticisms of bills supported by Pierce's Republican Party. He retorted in defense of the bills. But neither side attacked the other.
It was refreshing in an old-school sort of way.
Reasonable Republicans and Democrats really aren't that far apart on many issues. It only seems that way because of the vitriol issuing from the extremes at each end of the political spectrum.
But for at least one day in Madison County, a state representative and those attending his town hall meeting showed that respect and civil discourse still have a place in politics.