I was a bit perplexed to read the headline on the commentary in the Alexandria Echo Press nearly a month ago: Driver’s licenses for all is all-access pass for potential terrorists, criminals, by Senator Torrey Westrom, R-Alexandria.
I'm not the only one.
At the Swift County Monitor, editor Reed Anfinson writes in A Drop of Ink: Legislators: Communicate, Don’t Alienate:
Columns from our state representatives and senators can be essential sources on legislation at the state Capitol that will have an impact on the residents of the district and the roadblocks it faces.
Their columns inform us of their efforts to overcome these roadblocks, and perhaps, how they work with members on the other side of the political aisle. They also give us insight into the personalities of those who serve us in St. Paul.
However, over the years, these columns have become more about tearing down the opposing party and its members than informing constituents. They demean and ridicule. In doing so, they smear every constituent back home who is a member of that opposing party.
When we see a political column that states: “Driver’s License for All is the all-access pass for potential terrorists and criminals,” we know its aim is deception and the creation of fear. When we read the words “hostage,” “extremist,” and “radical,” we see words to inflame passions and heighten anxiety. They are loosely tethered to the truth – just enough to lend legitimacy to the topic but far from accurately telling the story of the legislation under consideration.
Following the lessons learned from social media, political parties include words that trigger deep emotions of outrage and fear to gain the most “likes” and “shares.” And just as the internet has divided us into bitter camps, not trusting or respecting one another, politicians, through their columns, can deepen our divisions rather than heal them.
What we find strange with some of the columns we receive is they don’t reflect the character of people we’ve gotten to know through conversations about their candidacies and eventual public service. In one-on-one conversations with our area’s state senators and representatives, we find them engaging, thoughtful, and civil. . . .
Indeed, Bluestem wonders whether the phrasing is Westrom's own, as the commentary is available at the Minnesota Senate Republicans Caucus website as Senator Westrom: Driver’s License for All is the all-access pass for potential terrorists and criminals.
Similar rhetoric is in the pull-quote headline for a statement on behalf of Luverne Republican state senator Bill Weber on the same website, Senator Weber: “Driver’s Licenses for All bill provides cover to those who wish to do us harm."
Related post
Photo: Torrey Westrom/ Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus.
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