Town Hall Chaos, or Democracy at Work?
Posted on Wed, Aug 12, 2009 @ 02:07 PM
As a healthcare communications professional, it has been
very interesting to witness 
the continuous clashes over healthcare reform between
concerned citizens and our nation’s political leaders taking place at Town
Hall meetings throughout the country.
First of all, I think a bit of perspective is in order. The
United States has a long and colorful history of vigorous debate, ideological
clashes and differences of opinion. Just read about the presidential election
of 1800 between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Or read about the Whiskey Rebellion of
1794, where President George Washington decided to declare martial law and send
troops to Pennsylvania to put down a rebellion of farmers opposed to federal
taxes on whiskey. The new taxes were introduced as a way to pay down the
national deficit, which was a real concern following years of war with Britain
and massive borrowing from France, Spain and Holland to finance the American
Revolution.
The current debate over healthcare reform, and the scenes
taking place at Town Hall meetings throughout the US, is tame by comparison to
these early struggles. Viewed in historical context, one could even argue that
the current national scene is an example of democracy at work.
However, as the debate continues, neither side is communicating
effectively. Supporters of reform seem unable to define clear, effective key
messages. Political leaders are falling into classic traps by allowing
themselves to be provoked and driven off message, and few if any seem to be
prepared to handle the hostility that they are facing. On the other side,
hyperbole, misinformation and shrillness don’t seem to be working either. The
work goes on in Washington, and displays of hysteria at Town Halls could have
the undesirable effect of marginalizing opponents of healthcare reform at a
time when different views should be heard and considered.
Most rational people agree that the current US healthcare
system is badly in need of reform. There are legitimate concerns over what
shape healthcare reform should take, how much it will cost, and how it will
impact the lives of ordinary citizens. Whether we succeed or fail hinges upon
how well we as a nation can define the critical issues, engage all the
stakeholders in this debate, listen to differences of opinion and create a
shared understanding of the way forward.
In other words, we need to communicate.