Letter writer’s own party, supporters should heed his words on rhetoric and civilized debate

By Letter to the Editor on May 29, 2019.

Re: “The election is over, but the venom persists,” May 23

The recent submission by Marco Jansen leads this writer to question whether or not the Cypress-Medicine Hat Constituency Association president has actually witnessed a session of legislature. Political rhetoric often involves engaging in accusations, moreso during campaign season, and, by means of example, there were many “insults and ridicule” delivered from both sides of the legislature within the first Thursday afternoon alone.

If it’s a matter of insults and provocations, let’s peaceably discuss the “F*** the NDP” stickers prominently placed on the backs of vehicles, most noticeably large trucks. It seems as though the owner/operator of vehicles displaying this language most certainly wish to engage in thoughtful, well-meaning dialogue with other individuals wishing to discuss political issues and not simply, as one frequent letter writer once put it, “make our (former) premier a golfing target only to be run over.”

Who, then, Mr. Jansen, are you suggesting to debate with in “civil, informed and on point” terms? Who specifically is displaying a lack of candour and civilized behaviour if not a number of Cypress-Medicine Hat’s very constituents themselves? Perhaps you’d like to be more direct in your next submission.

Michael Plait

Medicine Hat

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