One week after the 2010 midterm elections, National Endowment for the Humanities chairman Jim Leach brought his 50 state “American Civility Tour” to Delaware to discuss the quality of political discourse in the United States today.
Leach, a former Republican congressman from Iowa, spoke to a crowd at Delaware State University’s Education and Humanities Theater in Dover. Leach said, overall, he remains “very optimistic about the future of the country,” but admits he is “pessimistic about some attitudes.”
Leach told the crowd in Dover that civility primarily is not about manners, but rather “whether one is interested in someone else’s thoughts.” He asked, “If all men are created equal, then doesn’t it follow all men’s ideas are worthy of respect?”
Leach believes that question is central to political discourse now after the midterm elections. Leach pointed out that now Americans know which candidates won and which party controls each house of Congress, but “we don’t have the foggiest idea what the result is” until we see whether or not Republicans and Democrats can find ways to work together.
Leach also expressed concern over what he sees as growing potential for conflicts of interest in politics. He pointed to the recent U.S. Supreme Court’s “Citizens United” decision as an example of the increasing role of money in politics. Leach argued that by equating money with speech, the Court’s “five rogue males” gave too much deference to free speech by corporations and other organizations, such as labor unions. He also questioned whether corporations, unions and other groups deserve the
Leach said he is also troubled by the increasing use of hyperbole in political discourse. ”Some frameworks of thought define rival ideas,” Leach observed. ”Other frameworks define enemies. And do we as country want to declare war on ourselves?”
DFM News talked one on one with Leach about his “American Civility Tour” and the state of political discourse in the United States. Excerpts of that interview can bee seen below:
