To the Editor:
I was dismayed by the report of a conversation between county commissioners at a recent Beaufort County Board of Commissioners meeting. That conversation would not have been acceptable in a fourth-grade classroom discussing the topic at hand, which in this case was the requirement for a voter photo ID. The discussion belies any knowledge of the principles of argument or the logic that underlies argument. Nor is that discussion indicative of any effort on the part of any commissioner present to listen to others and attempt to forge a resolution that contains the best of all ideas and addresses the concerns of all. To call the participants in this discussion “leaders” is a grave misnomer. My dismay is heightened by the awareness that this silly scenario that pretends to be “discussion” or “debate” or “argument” is repeated over and again in the halls of government at all levels. It makes sense to me, consequently, that government has become unworkable at best and laughable at its worst. I’m sorry I could not laugh as I read this morning’s paper, although I’m sure many did.
BARBARA GLATTHORN
Washington