Below is the Text from my LIBN Column published today 1/14/2011
I've been there, retail politics with a high-profile elected
official. In my case, it was US Senator
Chuck Schumer on whose staff I served for nearly 6 years. Chuck loves retail and does it often and
well. He spends countless hours on LIRR
platforms, in front of supermarkets and at countless parades and
festivals. He listens to everyone, even
people who disagreed with him. Chances
are if you have gone to the Oyster Fest, Riverhead or Huntington Fall Festivals
you have seen the Senior Senator talking with his constituents and enjoying the
local corn. He loves getting and I loved
being with him, even though it often meant working weekends and always added to
my workload. Elected officials exist to
serve the public and you can’t serve the public if you’re not willing to go to
them.
I never worried that a public event would end in
violence. To think a nameless, faceless
thug would attempt to take the life of an elected official for any reason is
unfathomable, even today. While
rhetoric employed in modern politics has received greater attention in the wake
of the Arizona shootings, it’s nothing new.
Jefferson once referred to John Adams as a hermaphrodite, and there are
countless examples of heated politics in our history. I’m sure we will debate what effect the tone
of the last election had, but clearly this was an act of insanity and
fanaticism that has no place in our republic.
After what happened in Arizona, elected officials and staffs
across the nation are likely reconsidering how they interact with voters. I’m confident this won’t stop them all from
participating in retail politics, but it will certainly stop some. Let’s hope the lasting impact of Arizona
won’t be less access to our leaders by regular people who need their help and
rarely have opportunities to interact with members of congress.
I pray that Giffords survives and goes back to that Safeway
for a “Congress on Your Corner” event soon, and I hope that others don’t hide
in their offices as a result of what happened in Arizona.
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