MY CAUTIONARY TALE

A couple of years back the Social media universe in Carlsbad exploded. As can be seen in the attached article, Councilman Mark Packard was frustrated by his personal inbox being inadvertently filled with spam from Nextdoor. In an unfortunate utterance, he called its originator a "twit". 

I was one of those who rolled their eyes. Because he was sitting behind the dais on Tuesday nights, the blowback was epic and memorable. "How dare he call a constituent a name?" they said. None of this (of course) had anything to do with the people's business. Responding to the firestorm, Councilman Packard apologized (sort-of), in a civil and respectful manner despite the tempest in a teapot. 

I was bemused by last week's epic rant from Councilwoman Cori Schumacher (featuring "the Breens") on her official Facebook page, and the remarks of many of those commenting. It is a fascinating exercise into situational ethics to see how those claiming to be so deeply offended in 2016 by Dr. Packard's faux pas, are fine with an open attack upon constituents by an elected official from an official FB account. The only other elected politician in memory doing these things is Donald J. Trump, who only uses his personal Twitter feed to spread his invective. Apparently even he has some respect for his office.

Whatever your opinion of the Councilwoman's politics (or the Breens), there are reasons why you might be concerned. Those caring about the First Amendment would certainly be concerned with the "mantle of office" being used to "call out" political opponents. Research recognizes that a politician using their office to go after constituents has a chilling effect on public discourse. Issuing deceptively redacted versions of private communications to attack an opponent is perhaps nothing new, practitioners of the dark arts do usually attempt to frame every utterance as "kind, necessary, and true."

On the national stage, it may organically result in events like Charlottesville, riots in the streets, or members of Congress receiving death threats. We live in dangerous times. In the Carlsbad of Cori Schumacher, similar reactions are sought out by "whipping" local supporters and reaching out to the staffers of certain congressional campaigns voted "unacceptable" countless times for bullying and threatening young people. 

Unlike those bygone days, it appears that maybe, just maybe, the manic appeals to "Stand by Cori" were issued during the usual working hours for a Congressional office and while Cori is working for a certain Assemblymember. Your tax dollars at work, if you know what (and whom) I mean. 

A visit to Councilwoman Schumacher's official page sends a message far beyond the attempted denigration of those she is targeting. Some are asking for directions on how to "make it stop." Others are laughably threatening physical attacks. 

The logical conclusion of the exercise is nothing more or less than a quest to quell the most legitimate of remarks from being made at your city council meeting, aided and abetted by a "personality cult" that would make Stalin or Mao blush in its intensity. They are united in adulation for Cori. They are united in their anger and are defined by their hate.

If you challenge this local politician, the response is the use of weaponized victimhood, implied threat, whipping up attempted humiliation via encouraging legally actionable remarks by allies, and the overarching use of the time-honored tactic of demagogues which includes denial, counterattacks, and the politics of personal destruction.

In the final analysis, perhaps you believe "the Breens", the Mayor, and former members of the City Council, are all deserving of whatever dish is being served. Perhaps you believe Rick Caruso was an evil man seeking to despoil Carlsbad, and everybody supporting him was an existential threat to the Agua Hedionda Lagoon. Perhaps you think that every sponsor and promoter in the surfing world is evil and depraved, and all the Councilwoman's many battles over the years with so many people were a case of an almost messianic figure being given the short end of the stick by everyone. I did too until I saw this epic documentary.

But even if you believe all these things, in the privacy of your own conscience you will realize two important things. One will be that none of these parties ever tarnished their positions to attack their enemies so epically. And the other? Perhaps a disquieting sense that the calling upon the darker impulses of the human spirit in Carlsbad has been normalized, now that Councilwoman Schumacher has a cautionary tale for those who dare disagree.