Civil disagreement

When does good, honest debate end and incivility begin?

That’s a question members of the Springfield City Council are asking themselves in the wake of being asked to sign a civility pledge.

Mayor Misty Buscher and eight members of the City Council signed the pledge. But council members Ward 3 Ald. Roy Williams Jr. and Ward 2 Ald. Shawn Gregory refused.

“It’s nothing but fluff,” Williams told Illinois Times. “How do you enforce it? Who judges what’s uncivil? I’ve seen a lot on that council, but I’ll say this, some of them that signed it are the ones that needed to sign it. You know, I didn’t sign it because I felt like I’ve never done anything (uncivil).”

Although he signed the pledge, Ward 10 Ald. Ralph Hanauer said he believes the public needs to be more civil to the City Council.

“If we’re nicer, maybe it will also allow the public to be a little bit nicer,” he said. “We’ve had people come up and call us all kinds of things. And maybe this will curb that a little bit.”

Ward 1 Ald. Chuck Redpath said the pledge has caused him to be a bit more introspective about his actions.

“I think it basically was a message. We’ve let this get out of control here over the last couple years where people were getting personal with each other on the City Council. And I think that this was a directive that was started under Mayor (Jim) Langfelder and Mayor Buscher decided to continue that. I said, ‘Why not sign it?’

“We should be civil with each other. And I’m telling you this as a guy who sometimes lets his temper overtake him sometimes. (This pledge) has caused me to open my eyes and say, ‘Hey, look, you’re a professional, you’re in one of the most important offices in Sangamon County in central Illinois, and you need to act like it.'”

But Williams isn’t buying the change of heart.

“Our guy (Langfelder) lost, of course. They like to use pretentious words like ‘nonpartisan.’ But we’re like everybody else. We’re Democrats and we’re Republicans,” said Williams. “And now that it’s switched, they want to switch the rules and say, ‘Oh, but we don’t talk that way.’ We don’t? No, we’re going to keep it just the same. So, I may get on Misty the way (they) got on Jim. It just depends. So, I’m holding everybody accountable, including myself. We’re all accountable for our actions.”

Although improving civility was a campaign issue for Buscher and she pressed the City Council to pass the measure, she declined to discuss the pledge with Illinois Times.

Williams said people and communities have differing ideas of what constitutes civility.

“Those are cultural differences. There’s been many times when people (think someone’s) nervous or upset. Actually, that’s just the way they talk. I know in the African American community, you can be considered to be yelling when you’re just laughing and talking. You know, it’s not yelling. It’s just the way we express ourselves sometimes. So, again, who is the judge of what’s civil and what ain’t uncivil? I hope it ain’t you telling me to act white or to behave in a way that ain’t natural to me.”

Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who also has represented portions of central Illinois in Congress, has made promoting civility in government his mission since leaving public office.

He said Buscher’s appointment of both Republicans and Democrats as department heads and her endorsement of the civility pledge are steps in the right direction. But he said ultimately it is up to voters to support candidates who are cordial and willing to work in a bipartisan manner.

“The entire group individually may not agree on certain issues. But in the end, it will take compromise. It will take the ability of people to work together in order to reach a consensus. Most big decisions are not unanimous decisions. Most decisions that are significant are usually accomplished by compromise by people who give and take in the political atmosphere within which people work.

“If people understand that part of being part of a group (is key) – whether it’s the city council or the county board or Congress or the legislature – respect should be No. 1 for the other people that they’re serving with.”

Scott Reeder, a staff writer for Illinois Times, can be reached at sreeder@illinoistimes.com.

This article appears in Bringing health care to community gardens.