A Republican senator’s letter illustrates the disintegration of decency in U.S. democracy.

There is no law that says members of Congress must be respectful of their colleagues or constituents, no regulation codified anywhere, no whip cracking for boorish behavior.

But there was once a time when they and their staff members showed respect for everyone, even if it was feigned. They communicated in a manner that was befitting their high offices, not to mention the democratic institutions they represented.

It was simply understood. 

Back when I was working for a member of Congress we were deferential to everyone, especially constituents. That was true regardless of what we believed their political affiliation to be, how rude they were to us on the phone or how abusive of our boss or his policy positions in their letters. We never spoke ill of other members of Congress in draft letters, either, individually or as a group. The focus was always on the Senator and the positives related to his positions and actions.

Apparently the days of those types of formalities and niceties are long gone, scuttled with the integrity of so many of our democratic institutions. 

Attack of the Red Rubes

I don’t contact my state’s three members of Congress very often. Rep. Kelly Armstrong, Sen. John Hoeven and Sen. Kevin Cramer, all Republicans, have proven time and again they’re not going to change any of their positions based on comments from people like me.

Besides, their language has shifted from merely abrasive to insulting. A recent missive from Cramer is representative; here are a few choice passages (click on any of the text boxes to read the juvenile letter in its entirety) – 

An Indecent Degradation of Democracy

I would have been fired for using words and phrases like that in a draft letter for the Senator’s signature. There is zero doubt in my mind.

Unacceptable. 

I have no idea if Republican members of Congress from other states speak to their constituents in this manner or, for that matter, if Democratic congresspeople from anywhere do, either. The few times I’ve tried to get around the three Trump-bootlicking buddies by contacting their colleagues in other states there’s been no response. Can’t blame them; they have their own constituents to worry about.

Maybe it’s just a case of elected officials in a state so heavily Republican/Trumplican that they think they can say anything they want in any way they want and still get elected next time around. 

Even so, there’s no reason to debase the institution, the specific office or the citizens of a congressperson’s state.

That Cramer behaves boorishly is a surprise to absolutely no-one, however. He is but a symptom, an embodiment of the disintegration of decency in our supposedly representative form of government. Clearly this is much bigger than any one ill-mannered senator. If the people we elect to office cannot at least treat each other and their constituents with dignity – even if it’s contrived – the chances of ever getting anything done disappear.

It’s more than just a shame. It’s a dishonor to democracy.

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Martin C. Fredricks IV

Martin C. “Red” Fredricks IV here. I’m husband to an amazing woman who is also my best friend, dad to three outstanding kids, Fargoan (North Dakota, that is), proud introvert, veteran messaging strategist/copywriter, and big-time reader. As they say, if you're gonna write good stuff, you have to read good stuff. A ginger, too - ergo the "Red" - although some of it's going white. Cinnamon-Sugar, I call it. Tattooed to boot; seven so far. At age 54, I'm stilling crankin' AC/DC & Metallica, but now and again I spin some Eric Church and Black Uhuru, too. I love hanging out with my (much) better half, spending time with our kids, writing, hiking, riding my mountain bike and reading.

6 Comments

ionianscribe · December 29, 2021 at 12:10 am

Unfortunately, the values we have taught our kids have been a write-off. That much is evidenced on the appalling chain of events that the nation and the rest of the world has witnessed and continues to by these elected officials, in the last few years. You are right shameful and what a dishonor!

    Martin C. Fredricks IV · December 29, 2021 at 11:02 am

    You’re absolutely right. We’ve struggled with what to tell our kids in the midst of public life where lying to and insulting other people has become more the norm. “Yeah, I know the president of the United States lied about that, but it’s not OK to lie” just doesn’t ring true to young ears. It’s frustrating. Thank you for reading and commenting.

Tim Franklin · December 24, 2021 at 9:50 pm

Bravo! There is so much truth is this. I have always thought of myself as a human being first and a libertarian second, and the vast majority of my votes have been cast Republican. That has changed, and I will vote as a human being only. My criteria will focus on Honest, Kind, and Fair. The republican party has morphed into a corrupt, dishonest cult.

karenrsanderson · December 23, 2021 at 5:36 am

It is a dishonor. I write to the “senators” occasionally and get back some pretty disturbing words and phrases in their correspondence. It’s gross. I now fully detest the GOP.

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