Letter: Harassment by Middletown Committee

At the March 17, 2014 Middletown Township Committee meeting, I was treated rudely by two of the people on the dais.

These committee people appeared not to be listening to speakers at the public hearing until I began. Then, they "pounced like vicious animals," as a citizen noted.
(Go to the videotape to see, at minutes 20:12 and 1:41.)
http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=R_3tNaa5VjM

I urge the committee members to adhere to the following guidelines for civility when addressing a public speaker from the dias:

"Separate people from the problem:
Personal attacks or questioning people's motives or character rarely moves the conversation forward to a solution of a problem... Anything that approaches name-calling should be off limits.

Be compassionate:
Eye-rolling and grimacing can be nonverbal forms of heckling and also have no place in communities that value mutual respect.

Avoid debates and interruptions:
Interruptions should be discouraged so that individuals have the opportunity to collect their thoughts."

The whole guide is at:
http://www.ca-ilg.org/sites/main/files/file-attachments/tips_for_promoting_civility_in_public_meetings_2.pdf

Carolyn Schwebel

Leonardo

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