Settling Dust

It is after two in the morning here in DC. I need to go to bed. But I cannot sleep in good conscious until I make a few comments about the recent events in the Texas Senate.

First, to Senator Wendy Davis: my hat is off to you ma’am. There are very few issues on which we agree, and abortion is not one of them. However, your efforts today should be acknowledged. It was gutsy to attempt a thirteen-hour filibuster, and you did so with class and a great deal of respect for the democratic process.

The end of this situation has yet to be resolved – as of the writing of this post. Whether the bill passed or not is not important right now. The actions by both the members of the Senate and the individuals in the gallery have been deplorable. Members on both sides have used gimmicks and tricks to get their side the win. It would be easy to point out individuals that I believe are at fault, but I will not. This is a stain on the Senate and the state as a whole.

However, the most glaring assault on our democratic character was the action by the individuals in the gallery. When the clock got near its end, the gallery erupted as the Senate tried to proceed through multiple motions on the floor. The noise was so disruptive that the body could not hear the voices of the chair or one another. By cheering and chanting for nearly fifteen minutes, the mob effectively ran out the clock on the special session.

There are rules for decorum in the Senate chamber, and DPS officers removed many of the protesting onlookers from the gallery. At one point, I could hear someone yell, “we are the people” over and over, which I can only assume had the intention of communicating “we are the people, and we deserve to be heard”.

“We the People” of Texas have every right to have their voice heard, but where you lose me is in any defense of the actions on the gallery mob as any form of the democratic process. Allow me to explain just a few ways that “We the People” of Texas have been heard:

 “We the People” of Texas have elected Representatives and Senators to craft, debate, and pass our laws. Voting and elections is the most poignant and powerful voice the people have.

“We the People “ of Texas have had ample time to notify our Representatives and Senators of our support or opposition to the bill in question. Write a letter. Make a phone call. From someone who has been there and been apart of the process, let me assure you that the do matter and your voices are not ignored.

“We the People” of Texas, at least the opposition in this case, were vehemently defended in the form of Senator Davis’ filibuster. The filibuster is one of the most democratic tools in the arsenal of legislators. It gives the minority the chance to be heard regardless of the desires of the majority.

“We the People” of Texas were heard and their opinions were considered, so the argument that the actions of the gallery mob were in any way democratic is foolish. In fact, the founders of the United States voiced their concern about overbearing factions and the tyranny of the majority (Federalist 10). They specifically designed a system to combat those concerns.

The actions of the gallery mob were exactly what the founders were concerned about. They were ridiculous and undemocratic, at best. At the end of the day, this is not about abortion – it is about the travesty that the recent Senate deliberations became.

I blogged earlier today, saying that as Texans we are better than personal attacks on one another over partisan differences. The same is true here. As Texans were are better than this. We should expect and demand better from our elected officials. We should act in a way that is becoming of our great heritage as Texans and as Americans - we did not show that today. As the dust settles on the entire situation, remember that we are better than this and we need to act like it. 

Better Than This

As I am writing, Senator Wendy Davis of Ft. Worth is filibustering a pro-life bill that would curb many dangerous abortion practices in Texas. She has been speaking for nearly five house and will need to speak for more than eight hours more to kill the bill. As someone who is pro-life, it would be easy to fall into the temptation to spout conservative rhetoric in opposition to Senator Davis’ argument. But that is not the topic that has bothered me throughout the day.

Reading the Twitter feeds and the Facebook comments, I am disturbed by the fundamental failure to understand the democratic process and the conviction that our representatives have to stand before the world and defend their beliefs.

Late last night, there was major controversy over the Senate attempting to suspend a constitutional rule that requires the body to wait twenty-four hours before concurring on any House amendments. To suspend the rule, the Senate would need a two-thirds majority vote in favor of suspension. There was an outcry that the body was attempting to circumvent the state constitution in order to ram an unpopular bill through the process. That cannot be further from the truth. Every day, both the Senate and the House, suspend constitutional rules to conduct daily business.

Parliamentary procedure notwithstanding, there have been countless instances of disrespectful commentary from members of both sides of the argument. Not only is this uncalled for, but the arguments I am hearing are not well thought out or well reasoned.

Senator Lucio, a staunchly religious man, is known the state over for his Democratic voting. However, on the issue of abortion, he has voted his Catholic beliefs – standing up for the unborn. Last night, during the controversy over suspending the twenty-four hour rule, there were those that attacked Senator Lucio for his willingness to vote to suspend, indicating his support for the pro-life bill. His politics were questioned, his convictions were attacked, and at one point I read an individual who said he would personally run a primary opposition campaign if the Senator were to seek reelection.

Here is what I do not understand: For years, the citizens of this state have continually decried the members of our government for wavering in the face of difficult decisions and bending to the whims of special interests. We have called for principled leadership and moral courage.

Is that not what Senator Lucio has done in pledging support for this pro-life legislation? Instead of bending to his party platform or parroting the arguments of the pro-choice interests, he has placed principle ahead of politics. This is something to be praised, not condemned.

Similar attacks have been launched against Lt. Gov. Dewhurst (pro-life) and Senator Davis herself (pro-choice).

Disrespectful and personal attacks against one another because of a difference in opinion are neither constructive nor productive. At the end of the day, these are the elected officials of Texas. The job that they have is immeasurably difficult. Months and weeks away from family and friends, long days in tense deliberation over complex legislation, and late nights understanding a breadth of issues most could not begin to tackle. These are just a few of the challenges that are faced when pursuing a life in elected office. They deserve the utmost of honor and respect as they stand on the front lines of the effort to make our state a better place.

Unfortunately, this is not the case and that is a shame. Regardless of political position or ideological foundation, we are Texans and we are better than this.