DURING the week an anonymous, handwritten letter was left at my office. It had a threatening, menacing tone and referred to me as a f*****g wh*re, among other things.
Most people agree that no one should have to read and absorb that sort of attack. But some have suggested that it should be expected, and accepted, by an MP – that it is “part and parcel” of the job. That people are entitled to free speech. That if a political issue is particularly hot, then MPs just have to cop it sweet, because “that’s democracy”.
But that is a perverse interpretation of democracy. The essence of democracy is not the freedom to scream expletives at MPs. The essence of democracy is the civilised contest of ideas.
If you do not like what an MP says or does, democracy entitles you express your dissent in a civilised way, for example to vote for someone else.
Democracy does not entitle anyone to threaten, bait, menace, intimidate, harass or scream abuse at an MP. Democracy is not a one-way street of individual freedom to do whatever you like regardless of the consequences.
Democracy is a balance between rights and responsibilities that ultimately promote peace, security, safety and prosperity for all of us.
The letter to my office was a toxic mix of rage and misinformation. It abused me for supporting a Bill that I voted against.
The state of our democracy is deteriorating. More people are becoming less able to disagree with dignity and respect. This is no minor matter.
In extreme cases, where citizens lose the ability to engage in peaceful, civilised debate, it can lead to civil war. Northern Ireland is an example.
Restoring peace in Northern Ireland involved re-educating citizens about the basic principles of democracy and the skills it required, including how to accept and get along with people who are different.
Fortunately we are a long way from civil war, however, my experience tells me that there are some people in our community who need to relearn the principles of democracy, for all our sakes.
