Civility: A Requisite for Representative Government

“There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.” - John Adams

It is no secret to ourselves or the rest of the Western world that our nation is in the midst of an upheaval. The overturning of Roe v. Wade has ignited a polarizing spark that has sent ripples throughout our nation on both sides of the political aisle. These self-same aisles that we were once so ardently and passionately warned against allowing to come to pass. The repercussions of these divisions being magnified and enflamed did not begin here, and they most certainly will not end with this.

At the Art of Discourse, we are not constitutional lawyers, so we do not feel qualified to speak on the merits of substantive due process or the legality of the original case or its recent overturning. This is undoubtedly a far too broad, technical, and contentious issue for a statement to be made on a medium such as this. The impacts of this are profoundly and keenly felt by large portions of the population and, as such, have sparked powerful emotions across our country.

We have seen some of the darker aspects of human nature come to light as individuals have posted the addresses of Supreme Court Justices, petitions for their terminations from their professorships, and threats of violence against their persons and their families. This is a powerfully contentious issue that inspires equally powerful emotions. These powerful emotions do not serve as an excuse for violence or barbarity. Reason, civility, and meaningful engagement in public life should serve as the watchwords for those wishing to make a genuine and significant change. Regardless of our political perspectives on this issue, we must create impacts through reason, not noise. The blessing of living in our current epoch is that we are the inheritors of a representative government that offers us immense power as individual citizens. We can advocate, be civilly disobedient (see Thoreau), and engage meaningfully in political life. We have a constitution that establishes mechanisms through which we can affect change.

For many, political advocacy is executed through flash-in-the-pan appeals to emotion, but the bedrock of representative government runs far more profound. It finds its foundations in the stones of the Eternal City, that same city that birthed the characters of Cincinnatus, Cicero, and Cato the Younger. It is a political philosophy birthed and nurtured by the likes of Pericles. All of these individuals used their existing systems to affect effective and lasting change for the betterment of their societies. This is the blessing of our time. If you wish to see change, engage in public life. Step into the shoes of Cincinnatus and take an active role as a co-legislator of the American experience.

“Public business, my son, must always be done by somebody. It will be done by somebody or other. If wise men decline it, others will not; if honest men refuse it, others will not.” - John Adams

This is the eternal truth of representative government. To quote an esteemed friend of the Art of Discourse, the world is run by those who show up and do the work. It does not matter what the particular issue of the day might be, but if you wish to seek change, do not give in to the zeitgeist of mewling, whining, and raging against the machine. Use the available mechanisms, take ownership of these problems, educate yourself on every detail and minutiae, and step into a more impactful role. It is time to take up the mantle bestowed upon us by the great inheritance of our founding fathers. We leave you with a more excellent call to action than any we could muster, and it stands true whether you are classically liberal, conservative, or moderate.

“If we cannot at once rise to the sanctities of obedience and faith, let us at least resist our temptations; let us enter into the state of war, and wake Thor and Woden, courage and constancy, in our Saxon breasts.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance