Did Joe Wilson Cross the Line Between Civil Disobedience and Incivility?

Over a week ago, Joe Wilson, the Congressman from South Carolina, hurled the heckle heard around the world -- and we're still talking about it. Post-outburst, he stands by calling the President a liar and believes that the health care bill would be wrong for the American people because of provisions that could allow undocumented immigrants to receive health care benefits.

Henry David Thoreau's essay, "Civil Disobedience," advocated that people should not allow the government to make us agents of injustice and that we have a duty to follow our conscience. Throughout history, we have admired courageous leaders such as Ghandi and Dr. Martin Luther King for employing the tenants of civil disobedience to eradicate government-sponsored discrimination. Is it possible that calling the President a liar was no different than a march through Selma or a lunch counter sit-in? Is it possible that Joe Wilson was engaged in civil disobedience?

I would say no. Joe Wilson was not engaged in civil disobedience but incivility. His conduct was rude and egocentric. Sit-ins and marches have something in common: they advanced a cause and not a person. If you really believe that Joe Wilson acted in the best interest of the American people by heckling the President, then I challenge you to show me what he has done in the last two weeks to build a better and stronger health care bill.

Just as I thought I was getting too old to watch the MTV Music Awards, the Kanye West and Taylor Swift debacle reminded me that personal conviction is not an excuse for incivility. Mr. West told Jay Leno in an interview that he realized that his rude antics had consequences when he recognized that he had hurt Ms. Swift. His belief that Beyonce had a better video did not give him the right to obscure Ms. Swift's feelings. People hurt. As a result, he apologized -- and he meant it.

Wilson's heckle was a clear act of disrespect for the office of the President and the President. Disagreement is healthy and should always be encouraged, however, ad hominem attacks are savage and have the potential to hurt -- people, processes, and civilizations.

For this reason, Wilson should deliver a proper apology and continue his fight against the health care bill that would make Thoreau, Ghandi, and Dr. King proud. Until then, Kanye West would have exhibited more maturity than Wilson in the public apology arena.

It's a sad day when a rapper serves as a better role model for giving an apology than a US Congressman.

 

 

Follow Natalie Holder-Winfield on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nhwinfield

Comments

[Intelligentia]

09:31 AM on 09/19/2009

"Is it possible that calling the President a liar was no different than a march through Selma or a lunch counter sit-in? Is it possible that Joe Wilson was engaged in civil disobedience?"
I agree with your "no" conclusion. Wilson has no proof that the bill has a provision calling for free health care for illegal aliens. Selma and lunch counter sit-ins were protesting non-speculative present evil, suffered by real people!

[1murillo]

12:17 AM on 09/19/2009

Wilson's incivility was nowhere close to civil disobedience. He was merely extremely rude. Wilson wasn't making a point with his outburst - nor is he willing to pay a price for crossing a line - he merely brought the worst behavior in ballparks, concerts, clubs to what should be the most civil audience in the country.
If Wilson had anything real to say he would feel no need to apologize for going against existing rules.

[BefuddledinTX]

09:14 PM on 09/18/2009

What you miss in your article is that Joe Wilson was not acting as a citizen of the United States - he was sitting in that room as an elected representative of the people in his district in South Carolina. The United States House Of Representatives have specific rules of the conduct of its members on the House floor during a joint session of Congress.

Civil disobedience very much has a place in this debate, but not from people who are payed more than 100,000 annually and given expense accounts, great health care, and a government pension.

If Joe Wilson wants to exercise his personal opinions and disrespect not only the President, but the Peoples House - he should resign first.

[TequilaMockingbird]

05:41 PM on 09/18/2009

Civil Disobedience=Good

Audible Dishonest Idiocy= Bad

America.. We are apparently free to be as Stoopid as We Wanna Be!

[semoto]

03:26 PM on 09/18/2009

For the most part, civil disobedience requires effort.

For instance, you have to organize people, raise the money, hire the buses, take time off work, take time out of your life, spend your own dollars, and get your keister to Birmingham (or wherever the protest is).

Joe Wilson standing up and shouting -- in effect, heckling -- required virtually no effort.

To my mind, it's not even in the same ballpark with effective civil disobedience.

[Hispanicman]

02:21 PM on 09/18/2009

Okay, it was rude and disrespectful but since when is calling someone a liar considered to be racist?

I think most of the white politicians are also liars! It's sort of a prerequisite I think.

Darn, I guess I'm a double edged racist now. Wait, can a hispanic be a racist?

Too funny!

[randakost]

12:54 AM on 09/19/2009

Did you read this article or just the headline and decide to jump in with your "nobody is a racist" line? The author didn't say a word about racism. She was discussing civility versus incivility.

And yes, anyone of any "race" can be a racist.

[lelen]

07:38 PM on 09/17/2009

I feel the comment was coarse as well as dishonest. In 2003 Joe Wilson voted for the Bush Medicare Prescription Drug Act.In section 1011 illegals are covered.The bill that the house passed did have it in the original version but it was removed.The President was talking about the revised bill.Joe Wilson knew this.He was performing for the crazy nuts who just hate the thought of Obama being President. I don't think there was a racial element to his outrageous conduct,he like his fellow Republicans are reaching out to a fringe segment of the country that is losing their standard of living,denying science and forgetting the last eight years..These are the people who get their news from talk shows and blogs, who never check the origin or reliablity of the information they take as fact.

[customgreen]

07:23 PM on 09/17/2009

I would agree with most of this post but with one difference. West is known for doing outrageous things especially controversial ones. His apology was accepted sincerley by the young lady, I do not think his apology was done out of regret for what he did to her. I am more of a mind that he felt the weight of public scorn on him and that brought him to the apology table. If no one had said anything West would have not offered up any apologies. Wilson is a racist for sure. Wilson no doubt spouted what he has been hearing in the republican cloak room for months. The legislation has nothing to do with the war against Obama by the Republicans. They simply cannot stand the fact that they lost, and doubly hate the fact that a black man is in office. There certainly have been enough exapmles of bad behavior by Republicans to prove the point.

[laocoon]

06:46 PM on 09/17/2009

what did Wilson say on sunday on Fox? he said that he really meant that the bill does not have a provision requiring proof that you are legal to obtain benefits. so he lied when he shouted out because they are very different issues.

[saladd]

12:30 PM on 09/18/2009

That was just Joe Wilson covering his ass. Because the real point that the media has largely overlooked is that Joe Wilson's taunt of "You Lie" was in fact a lie because the bill does not provide for illegal aliens. And there is still a large number of ignorant people out there who still think it's true because of Wilson and others on fax that continue to spread disinformation, aka lies.

An act of civil disobedience has truth at its core. Joe Wilson's uncivil moment in history has a lie at its core and that means he was heckling and hate-mongering, and not doing anything as noble as civil disobedience.

[randakost]

12:59 AM on 09/19/2009

What I don't get is why this is an issue. There's direct language prohibiting government subsidies for undocumented people, but the republicans are actually screaming against letting undocumented people BUY in to the system. This makes NO sense whatsoever. From a moral perspective it's just reprehensible, but from an economic perspective it's just stupid. Rather than let people buy into the system, we'll force them into emergency rooms for primary care which is incredibly expensive and WE ALL PAY FOR ANYWAY.

I can't wrap my head around this except to say that THIS is racist. We'd rather let brown people DIE...and pay MORE to let them die, then let them buy into a public option. And don't tell me this is against any undocumented immigrant because I guarantee you no one is demanding the papers of a white person with an English accent in this country.