As for whether Congress should go beyond Rep. Brady’s proposal and attempt to prohibit merely “vitriolic” political rhetoric, let us not forget that, when House Members read the Constitution to kick off the 112th Congress, the provision Rep. Giffords read so eloquently was the First Amendment. As the Supreme Court noted in the Watts case, this country has “a profound national commitment to the principle that debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust, and wide-open, and that it may well include vehement, caustic, and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public officials.”
Civility in politics is a worthy and important aspiration, but not everything that is good can be legislated. Given our inherently adversarial electoral system, it would be virtually impossible to determine when a candidate’s “legitimate” criticism of an opponent crosses the line. Moreover, acrimony in political discourse is not new in America. As the Supreme Court has observed, “The language of the political arena ... is often vituperative, abusive, and inexact.” That was in 1969, and the country has not come apart at the seams, notwithstanding our failure to regulate political “vitriol.” This is not to shrug off tragedies like the Arizona shootings, but rather to caution against quick legislative fixes. For now, let’s just take a moment to reflect and pray for Rep. Giffords, the other victims and their families.
Eric Wang is a political law attorney. He can be reached at ericwang@alumni.princeton.edu.
Roll Call has launched a new feature, Hill Navigator, to advise congressional staffers and would-be staffers on how to manage workplace issues on Capitol Hill. Please send us your questions — anything from office etiquette, to handling awkward moments, to what happens when the work life gets too personal. Submissions will be treated anonymously.
