My freshman year in the U.S. House of Representatives has been, to put it kindly, “eventful.” While not totally surprised by witnessing the lack of decorum and polarizing dysfunction on display in the U.S. Capitol, I have been taken aback by the sheer prevalence of questionable behavior, much of it (but not exclusively) on the House Republican majority side.
There have been personal attacks, baseless censures, impeachment attempts and angry physical confrontations, including the former speaker of the House allegedly elbowing a fellow Republican in the kidneys who had voted to remove him. In the “upper house,” a U.S. senator threatened to physically fight a witness during a committee hearing. Performative political extremism is flaunted regularly on social media specifically to get attention in the form of clicks, likes and campaign contributions from supporters. And as we approach the 2024 election cycle where democracy itself is on the line, the former president uses the term “vermin” when describing his opponents.
As a nearly three-decade political practitioner in our county, I’m no stranger to the rough and tumble, “hardball” nature of politics and governing. As speaker pro tempore of the California Assembly, I was tasked with maintaining decorum during debate on the Assembly floor, with an imposing portrait of Abraham Lincoln watching over the proceedings. I’ve learned that the beating heart of a functioning democracy is civil discourse and respectful debate. This ethos was emphasized in an extraordinary joint message from 13 presidential libraries, Republican and Democratic, from Hoover to Obama, calling for a recommitment to our country’s bedrock principles stating, “Debate and disagreement are central features in a healthy democracy. Civility and respect in political discourse, whether in an election year or otherwise, are essential.”
That said, the need for returning to our principles is not exclusive to the national or statewide stage. We are also hearing and reading of an emerging divisiveness and lack of decorum in our own local politics and governance here in San Mateo County, albeit still a world away from Washington. To be clear, an abundance of good things are happening locally. Local government leaders continue to innovate and collaborate and address emerging issues in a progressive and thoughtful way, but recent high-profile situations make me question if we are seeing a fraying of our traditional civility and bending very subtly toward national trends.
On a few of our local governing bodies, we are seeing surprising personal invective, false accusations and threats of divisive recall elections. Over recent years there have been multiple examples of councilmembers being “skipped” in the annual rotation for the position of mayor for personal reasons, where the hurt feelings can fester for years affecting cooperative governance. And now, after a raucous public meeting, one of our cities is suing the county over a project to proactively address homelessness when it should be seeking collaboration.
For practical reasons, we, in our county, simply cannot afford to be at sharp odds with one another within and among our governing bodies. San Mateo County and our 20 cities are too small to compete effectively for regional resources against our larger neighbors (San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose), especially when there is dissension within our ranks. The “San Mateo County Way,” speaking with one voice when fighting regional battles has proven successful more often than not (the most recent test being the Caltrain governance fight).
Democracy has never been easy — it tests us all every day when we realize that while we have every right to our opinion, our neighbor, our colleague or our adversary has the right to a diametrically opposed view. The goal should be a respectful and earnest debate followed by seeking a consensus when possible, in service of the greater good. As the Peninsula continues to evolve and we leave behind the outdated and obsolete, let’s remember to bring forward the best elements of our civic and governing traditions — what makes this place unique.
At a time of demagoguery and rising hate speech in America, and social media algorithms that exacerbate our own echo chambers and distrust of opposing views, let’s be an example here of where divisions and past grievances can be healed and a politics of the common good can prevail, and appeal to as Lincoln said, “the better angels of our nature.” The future of democracy in our county, as well as our country, depends on it.
Kevin Mullin represents District 15 in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district includes the Bayside of San Mateo County from Daly City to East Palo Alto and the southeast side of San Francisco.
(6) comments
Thank you Representative Mullin for your work in Congress and for calling on ALL sides of an issue to advocate, promote and even vociferate with decorum. Politics isn't personal - or shouldn't be, so personal attacks don't belong in political discourse. We elect leaders to advance policy. While we can't always agree on what policy should be advanced, there is always another election and the opportunity to vote for a candidate more in line with one's policy goals.
Staying civil in our social media-drive society is like swimming upstream. We need more thoughtful politicians like you to set a good example. I'm also grateful for your focus on governing -- for supporting smart climate legislation, for joining the Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, and for helping families in your district.
Unfortunately, the incivility has arrived in the lovely San Mateo Baywood neighborhood with a small group calling themselves Less Red Tape. What should and could be a respectful discourse on becoming a historic district, Less Red Tape has resorted to spreading misinformation and outright lies. With today’s climate, I can almost expect that, but now they have crossed the line by making untrue, nasty personal attacks on neighbors. To Terrence Y’s comment above, it’s not about Republican vs. Democrat, Republican vs. Reputation, or Democrat vs. Democrat, but people being civil to each other. It looks like we may have a ways to go…
This is ironic coming from someone who has called other people homophobic slurs, leading to a statement of admonition from the SMC Stonewall Dems
Actually that’s all on you, Seema. I use the Merriam-Webster dictionary and you once again twist the truth and alarm the folks on SMC Stonewall Dems.
Hey Mr. Mullin, your call for unity is a good thing but in beginning your letter with finger pointing at Republicans while letting Democrats get a pass for their personal attacks, baseless censures, impeachment attempts and angry physical confrontations shows, IMO, you’re not sincere or interested in unity. The bottom line is that the collective “you” reap what you sow. Instead of almost 750 words talking the talk about unity and decorum, perhaps you and your fellow Dems can lead the way and walk the walk. Until that happens, expect more of what you’ve sown. A side note, it seems this divisive behavior is now pitting Dem vs. Dem. Folks, pull out the popcorn and enjoy the shows.
Isn't it ironic that Democrats like Mullin hide behind the totally twisted meaning of the democracy concept? Drag in a female court justice who cannot even define what a woman is? His Party refuses to set anti-semitic members straight, insists against all clear evidence that Biden is a capable commander-in-chief, refuses to acknowledge that Biden is guilty of dereliction of duty by not securing the border, and cozying up to the regime of Iran? And Mr. Mullin wants us to accept or mollify this outrageous behavior by his Party? He is tone deaf and certainly not a representative for many of us.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.