The RaceDoctor Speaks!

Purpose and Overview

This document lays out an experimental strategy for public officials to maximize the chance that the health care town halls embody at least a minimal level of order and civility. The core idea is to provide a structure that calls upon a basic sense of order, but also effectively responses to the reality that many people who attend the meetings are motivated by a chance to vent frustrations about the current health care plan.

Premises
•Many people come to the town halls with the expectation they will not be heard. It is also the case that some of them intend to shut down discussion by others under the claim that they are not being heard.

•Now that activists groups have mobilized, many people come to the town halls with their positions staked out, and are merely using the “Questions Period” to challenge representatives on their positions.

•Some people come to the town halls not having a position, and actually want to ask questions.

•Most adults understand that people can come to meetings with different purposes.

•Most over the age of four understand the concept of taking turns.

Establishing Tone and Structure for the Town Hall

The representative should acknowledge the diverse views and meeting purposes at the beginning of the meeting. Suggested language:
•I know that many people come to these meetings with their minds made up about health care reform and want to tell me, their elected representative, about their opinion. That is an important and legitimate purpose of these meetings.

•Others are not sure how they feel about health reform, and came here to ask me questions about my position so they can figure out how they feel. That is also a legitimate purpose of these meetings.

•My intention is to run this meeting in a way that, as much as possible, responds to these different purposes. So first, I am going to find out how many people came here tonight pretty much knowing they are opposed the current plan being discussed, how many people came here pretty much knowing they support the current plan, and how many are still forming their opinion.

•Let’s do a show of hands, I will have my assistants count how many are in each group. (Have the assistant write the number down on a publicly visible piece of easel paper)

•Here is what I want to do: For the first XX minutes, I want to hear questions/comments from folks who oppose my position on health care. I will try to keep my answers as brief as possible, so I can address as many people from this group as possible. (Potential additional option to add: If I don’t get to your question/comment in the first round, you can write down your comment and my staff will bring all of those comments forward so I can potentially get to them later.)

•Then I will take XX minutes to take questions/comments from folks who think they support my position on health care. I will respond to comments if people want, and again will be as brief as possible in order to get to more people from this group. (Additional option: Again, folks who have comments I have not gotten to should write them down.)

•Finally, I will take XX minutes to take questions/comments from folks who are unsure where they are.

•There will still be time left after that, and I will try to allocate the remaining time in rough proportion to number of people in each group.

•I would also add that the more time we spend shouting and chanting, the less time we have for real debate and dialogue about the issues.

Additional Suggestions and Possible Modifications
Have a staff person write down the core concerns of each comment on large piece of easel paper.
Tape these notes in a public place that is visible to all. Separate the comments/concerns of the different groups on separate sets of visible notes.

One option is to handle the comments/questions “round robin” style by alternating between the three groups. This may be valuable during after the initial part of the meeting, which is designed to let the crowds on each side blow off steam. Going to round robin format early is likely to cause frustration and disruption.

It may be important to propose a minimal set of ground rules. These rules should be written down in advance on a large sheet of paper and prominently displayed.
For example:
•Each person is allowed two minutes for their question, and 30 seconds for a follow up question. Everyone here deserves respect, even if we have contempt for their opinion.

•We will let people finish their comment and not shout them down, even if what they say is factually wrong or we disagree with it.

•The representative will take no more than 3 minutes to address each comment/question.

•Remember that no matter where we are on this issue, our children are learning from us about how we handle disagreements with each other.

Quotations for Signage
It may be useful to post some quotations about free speech in prominent places in the room and in the entrance ways to the room. Some examples that might be helpful:

“Free speech carries with it some freedom to listen.” Supreme Court Justice Warren E. Burger

“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” [Colossians 4:6]

“There is nothing wrong with America that faith, love of freedom, intelligence, and energy of her citizens cannot cure.” – President Dwight D. Eisenhower

“We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is afraid of its people.” - President John Fitzgerald Kennedy

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” —Voltaire

"We have nothing to fear from the demoralizing reasonings of some, if others are left free to demonstrate their errors. These are safer correctives than the conscience of a judge." – Thomas Jefferson