You Lie! The Case for Politically Incorrect Debate
On September 9, much was at stake as President Barack Obama and both Houses of Congress met on Capitol Hill for his speech on healthcare reform. His speech, which was widely considered by both critics and supporters to be a make-or-break moment for Obama and the Democrats’ healthcare crusade, was a 3,000 word sermon to Congress, and more importantly, to the American people, that this legislation is a necessity for the well-being of the nation.
However, on September 10, no one was talking about the President’s words; instead, the focus was on Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) and his two-word comment that sent the chamber into a frenzy that sounded more like Wabash students shouting their opinion of the school located 25 miles to the south, rather than a convening of Congress. “You lie!” shouted Wilson, a fierce opponent of the healthcare reform bill, after Obama stated that the bill would not cover illegal immigrants.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s jaw almost hit the floor and House and Senate Democrats alike quickly began to let their feelings on the outburst be known. And so it began; the Liberals came out of the pits of the earth to start making every claim imaginable. They demanded that Congress punish Wilson. (Apparently they had forgotten that the First Amendment allows Republicans to speak freely, as well.) They asked for the Republicans in Congress to reprimand Wilson, after prominent members of the GOP had already made public statements denouncing his actions. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) claimed Wilson was “totally disrespectful” for his choice words.
3,000 words on what is arguably the most important legislation the nation has seen in the past several decades, and one two-word statement steals the spotlight. This got me thinking, “Were Joe Wilson’s actions actually wrong? Or were Democrats simply upset because someone had had the guts to call out their Chosen One?” The answers to both are debatable.
There once was a time when Congressional debate was not so necessarily politically correct. Historically, American political debate was modeled off of that used in British Parliament. The British idea of acceptable Parliamentary behavior is fundamentally different from what exists in today’s American Congress. Although originally the American version closely resembled Parliament, since those early days modern political correctness has greatly affected the seriousness of United States Congressional debate. When a proposition is brought to Parliament or a speaker is on the floor, Members will boo, hiss, shout in approval, clap, and even yell such insults as “For Shame!” at the speaker, forcing speakers to know carefully the merit of their words. When Wilson spoke up during the address, then, he could easily have been confused for a Member of Parliament.
“Why doesn’t this come to the United States?” you may ask. Well, in a way, it has.
Intercollegiate Parliamentary Debate, for example, has been a phenomenon on college campuses all across the country for quite some time. The American Parliamentary Debate Association hosts tournaments all across the country for college students to show off their skills and to promote the Parliamentary Debate format. Also, many colleges, including Wabash, offer a course on Parliamentary Debate (Rhetoric 143 at Wabash, taught by Prof. Motter).
So, if this style has worked in Britain and is so popular around the nation in the arena of academia, why did it cause such a commotion when Wilson blurted out during Obama’s speech? And an aside: How does it differ from when George W. Bush was booed during his state of the union address in 2005? The answer to these questions is quite simple: Because a Republican called out a Democrat. Is it politically incorrect to shout in front of Congress and a national television audience that the president of the United States is a liar? Unquestionably. But is political incorrectness exactly what it will take to get that message across? Probably.
Shortly after the conclusion of Obama’s speech, Wilson released a statement apologizing for his actions. “This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the President’s remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the healthcare bill. While I disagree with the President’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the President for this lack of civility.” But, neither Democrats nor the media could let it end there, continuing to hound Wilson. Eventually, the Democrats forced Wilson to apologize on the House floor.
For shame! I guess we’ll have to wait for a Republican to be booed or called out for such behavior to be acceptable again.
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