Our Opinion: Town hall meetings latest political battleground

Recently recessed national lawmakers are returning home to a summer of discontent.

Traditionally, state leaders return to their home turf for summer town hall meetings to discuss important issues with constituents. Due to heightened emotions over proposed health care legislation, lawmakers - mainly Democratic leaders - are facing hostile crowds shouting down speakers and making angry statements against the health care reform plans.

Democrats are crying foul, saying the outbursts are orchestrated and subvert the spirit of civil discussion. Republicans say the public response is genuine and counter that the Democrats have no right in attacking people for expressing their opinions.

This polarizing form of politics, unfortunately, has become the norm in the land of free speech.

Our Nevada delegation, in part because of what's transpiring in other states, is turning to telephone town hall conferences this month to interact with residents. Republican Rep. Dean Heller and Democratic Sen. Harry Reid both say they plan to conduct telephone meetings with constituents rather than face-to-face town hall sessions.

Sen. John Ensign said he still plans to travel around the state to speak with constituents. The Republican senator also will conduct tele-town halls during the recess.

Proponents of the teleconferences point to the ability to reach large numbers of residents - up to 2,000 or more in an hour, and the convenience that eliminates travel time.

The teleconference approach certainly has advantages and we don't advocate eliminating this growing trend as a means to reach out to constituents. However, we certainly don't believe this communication tool should replace opportunities to meet face-to-face with the state's citizenry.

Regarding the uncivil discourse permeating the live town hall meetings across the nation, we hope angry statements and disruption give way to productive debate of health care and other issues.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, earlier this week argued along those lines. However, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, derided his Senate colleague, calling Durbin's complaints "absurd." McConnell said "attacking citizens in our country for expressing their opinions about an issue of this magnitude (health care) may indicate some weakness in their position ..."

Denying a healthy, robust discussion of the issues is the problem. Shouting louder and drowning out opposing views is not the answer, no matter one's viewpoint.

"We need to respect free speech, but we need to respect one another's rights to free speech, too," Sen. Durbin said on CNN. "When these people come in just to disrupt the meetings, no, that isn't right."

That doesn't sound absurd to us.