SOUND OFF: Democracy should be more than a comment section

I want people to care deeply about what happens in our community. But good advocacy requires substance. It requires making an argument, offering evidence and asking meaningful questions. It requires you to listen when presented with new information, rather than refusing to hear anything other than the vitriol you cling to. Insults might generate attention, but they don’t change a policy or make Kamloops better.

A comment section is not a referendum. A few people repeatedly saying the same thing does not necessarily mean that the community agrees with them. But it does have an impact, particularly on the people who are considering putting their names on a ballot.

Kamloops will head to the polls on October 17; this is an important opportunity for our community to decide what kind of leadership we want. But I wonder who we are going to lose before they ever put their hands up, because running for public office requires a particular kind of masochism. You have to be prepared to have your decisions scrutinized. You have to be willing to hear that someone thinks you are wrong. That is democracy. What should not be considered a normal part of democratic participation is being relentlessly insulted, harassed or attacked.

Research from the Canadian Municipal Barometer found 63 per cent of local politicians surveyed had experienced some form of harassment. Women continue to be underrepresented in municipal politics. In 2023, women made up just 31 per cent of municipal elected representatives across Canada. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has warned that harassment and abuse can discourage underrepresented people from entering and remaining in local politics, and that women, particularly Black and racialized women, are disproportionately targeted.

That should concern us.

Because who puts their hand up matters. Our communities benefit when people with different experiences and perspectives are willing to serve.

But if the price of putting your name on the ballot is exposing yourself and your family to years of personal attacks, we should not be surprised when some exceptionally capable people decide they would rather not.

I don’t think the answer is to make politics less contentious. You SHOULD care deeply about this stuff. I want candidates to have strong opinions. I want them to defend those opinions. I want voters to ask hard questions. I want journalists to investigate. I just want us to remember that being tough on ideas does not require being cruel to people. I worry that we are losing that distinction.

What does municipal politics look like if the people who are thoughtful, capable, community-minded and willing to do the work look at our public discourse and decide, ‘No thanks?’ What happens when the cost of participating becomes greater than the desire to serve?

I don’t think telling everyone to “be nicer” is enough. Politics is messy. People are passionate. But perhaps we can ask more of ourselves. We can disagree without dehumanizing. We can criticize decisions without assuming the worst about the people who made them. We can demand accountability while still recognizing that the people sitting around the horseshoe are our neighbours.

And perhaps, as we head toward the October election, we can think not only about who we want to vote for, but about what kind of political culture we want to create in Kamloops. Because this isn’t just about the politicians who are willing to put their names forward this year. It is about the people who might consider doing it four years from now. Eight years from now. 20 years from now.

Every time we comment, share, post or pile on, we are contributing to the political culture of our community. We have a choice about what kind of contribution we make.

So before we hit “post,” before we add another insult to the comment section, before we decide that someone who disagrees with us must be stupid, corrupt or malicious, I hope we stop and ask ourselves:

Is what I am about to say adding something meaningful to the conversation?

Have I received factual, unbiased information on this issue and am I prepared to listen to new information that might challenge my assumptions?

Am I holding someone accountable for their ideas and decisions, or am I simply attacking the person?

And – Am I part of the problem or am I part of moving Kamloops forward?

Because if we want good people to step forward and serve this community, we have to create a community worth stepping forward for. The future of Kamloops isn’t just shaped by the people we elect. It is shaped by all of us.

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Note: Alix Dolson is Katie Neustaeter’s campaign manager in the upcoming municipal election.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

by Alix Dolson

SOUND OFF: Democracy should be more than a comment section

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