Community divide exacerbated by social media
Anyone who stands in the public square is vulnerable to bullying and harassment
AS I sit down to write this piece for the Courier, the day has been dominated by the sudden and unexpected death of Sir David Amess, the Member of Parliament for first Basildon and then Southend West, serving in the House of Commons for nearly 40 years.
David was brutally murdered in a Methodist church whilst holding a regular surgery that was open for anyone to attend who wanted access and help from their Member of Parliament. As rational human beings having recoiled at the horror of this attack on our democracy and public safety, we have to try and make sense of why it happened and some of the consequences that surely must follow.
The truth is that thankfully these horrific events are relatively rare, and of course when they do happen there is an outpouring of anger and sadness. The people of Southend West have lost a fine Member of Parliament and of course David’s family are plunged into unexpected grief. All Members of Parliament will shudder at the news, especially following the death of Jo Cox here in West Yorkshire. The danger is that society could over react and place barriers to constituents accessing their Member of Parliament. Clearly MPs do need to review where and when they meet with constituents, and what appropriate security measures need to be put in place for their own safety, and that of their staff. The vast majority of constituents are of course law abiding citizens and pose no real threat. Yet on occasions some citizens are so angry with how life has treated them, that their local MP becomes the target for their emotional response, and occasionally this can tip into violence with tragic consequences. Equally very occasionally someone may be suffering from a form of mental health condition that means they are experiencing an alternative world view and experience from reality, which can again sadly result in physical assault and present as a disturbing safeguarding issue.
The language of public discourse and of the media in particular in recent years has flamed the fire of division and provided oxygen for those voices who look to divide communities and encourage conflict. This is exacerbated by social media, with private thoughts placed into the public realm, which would never see the light of day in any public printed document, as it would be inflammatory and inciting hatred and violence.
Each week a different section of society is vilified: one week it’s Remainers, the next week it’s GPs, then the police, another week its local councillors, who provide a convenient focus for people to vent their personal frustrations. Clergy are no different, and certainly during last year, I experienced a personal attack from people who saw me as a soft target to vent their spleen. It would appear that anyone who stands in the public square is vulnerable to bullying and harassment?
The way society treat its members is an important sign of how far we have come as human beings. Debate is healthy and constructive.
The language we choose to use is critical, as here in Calderdale we value through words and acts of kindness and generosity towards those we profoundly disagree with, the utmost respect for the positions they chose to hold, and the values with which they live out their lives.
Valuing difference is key to unity as communities.
As, we look towards 2024 and the 50th anniversary of the Borough of Calderdale, now is the time for us to redefine the ground rules for protecting our democracy and how we might demonstrate an appreciation of those who dare to stand for public office, and whose vocation is to make the world and our lives in local communities a better place.