A message from John McConnell, Pct. Chair 3047

By John McConnell

I listened to Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses, as Bill Moyers interviewed him recently. If I understood Rushdie correctly, (He was talking fast with great eloquence) he said that democratic freedom requires the right to argue any subject and to decide what to do about it.

To those who say we shouldn't talk about some subjects, e.g., politics, religion, sex, --anything controversial--I think Rushdie would ask, "What are you afraid of?" They are afraid that the flaws in their argument would be exposed.

Since argument can easily get out of hand when beliefs are strong and resources limited, we Democrats have chosen rules under which the argument is to be conducted and resolved--in our case, Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised. The Chair is somewhat like a referee in a boxing match--but the contestants themselves must ultimately decide the outcome. Democracy demands no less.

As in any sport, the setting and facilities for our meetings (contests) must be as nearly ideal as possible or participant's rights will be infringed on. We Democrats are sometimes careless about such things as notification, location, seating, sound systems, etc. All these things are of vital importance to the outcome of our meetings.

Every participant must have an equal opportunity to hear, be heard, and to vote. It is the responsibility of all to see that that is the case. There are those who seek advantage for themselves and their point of view. We must question their commitment to the democratic process.