Not A Democracy…Thank Heavens!
It is not the purpose of this editorial to take a position, one way or the other, on whether the Moapa Valley Television District (MVTVD) should make its proposed assessment on every residential household in town. This is an important issue before the community. At stake is over a million dollars in community assets including 11 FCC broadcast licenses and a priority lease on a parcel of highly coveted BLM land atop Beacon Hill. For many years, these assets have been managed locally by the MVTVD elected board of directors. Is it, then, worth paying $2 per month in taxes in order to retain these things as community-owned and -managed assets? This is what all the discussion really boils down to; or what it should boil down to. The final decision will (and by rights should) be made right here in this community. The ability to make a purely local decision, a final decision, is rare indeed and should be truly welcome to all residents of the greater Moapa Valley. So this article will not advocate here one side or the other; but it will state that it is refreshing to see a local decision being made locally for a change.
While this decision is important, the manner of how the decision is made, and the level of public discourse that accompanies it, is equally important. It is possible to have a healthy debate, and to disagree on important issues, without becoming rancorous, hateful and degrading. Our government is founded on this possibility.
But you wouldn’t think so if you observed some of the behavior at the MVTVD hearing held last Tuesday (April 1). At that meeting, a group of 15-20 people, who were opposed to the assessment, succeeded in drowning out the voices of everyone else in the room for a time. Giving little respect for the process of law that the hearing observed, they shouted over others out of turn, ridiculed and heckled the board members and exhibited a destructive influence towards any semblance of meaningful public discourse.
Whatever one might think of the proposed assessment, the MVTVD board is made up of honorable people. Many of them have volunteered countless hours for many years to provide the service for which they are elected. None of them are paid for their efforts. On the contrary, some have contributed money, time, expertise and stores of their own valuable equipment to the efforts of maintaining television signals to the community. In addition to serving on this board, a couple of the members also serve as volunteer firefighters in the community. The fact is that each one of the board members is a honest hard-working Moapa Valley resident who has a strong sense of civic responsibility.
This being true, there is really no excuse for the kind of treatment they received at last Tuesday’s hearing. Indeed, they were treated like a pack of dishonest, corrupt and bullying politicians. These five community volunteers were required to endure rude, rough and even abusive treatment for over an hour. And though they should not have had to do so, they generally handled it well. About half way through the hearing, a group of the most grievous offenders finally got up and walked out in a huff. At that point, a constructive and orderly discourse resumed among the cooler heads left in the room. This conversation included viewpoints and opinions from both sides of the issue being expressed freely and respectfully. The MVTVD Board Members listened for another hour until all comments had been made.
It is a common misconception that we live in a democracy. Thank heavens that we don’t! The chaos of last Tuesday’s hearing illustrates beautifully the reason that pure democracies do not work very well. There is great wisdom in not giving every individual an equal voice in every little decision. Instead, we elect representatives to study the issues and then make decisions on our behalf. This wisdom incorporated into our federal system by the constitutional founders and replicated in virtually every state and local entity (like the MVTVD) is the most effective way to get things accomplished. It may not always be the most efficient, but it is certainly the most effective; even allowing for the kind of citizen misbehavior evident in last weeks MVTVD meeting.
The MVTVD Board is an elected body. Like other elected officials they have been charged by their electorate to provide a specific service. Agree with them or not, it should be remembered that these men are working to fill that charge. They are fulfilling their responsibilities.
Over the past week the board members of the MVTVD who have been thrown into the limelight on this issue, have stood up under intense criticism and will probably continue to do so. This frankly, is as it should be for those holding elective office. Indeed, residents of the community, both who oppose and support the proposed MVTVD actions, should come forward and freely express their opinion on this issue while they can. But there is no reason to become rude, irrational and insulting. Whatever one’s opinion may be, the MVTVD Board members deserve at least a customary level of respect and courtesy. They should not have to suffer humiliation from fellow residents, as occurred last Tuesday, as a result of their desire and willingness to voluntarily serve this community.
In any case, after all of the noise and chaos of different opinions and viewpoints have been voiced and quieted, a final decision has to be made; one way or the other. In America, it is our elected officials who make those final decisions. It is both their privilege and their burden to do so. A respect for the American system would mandate that we abide by those decisions after they are made; whether we agree with them or not. And, if a person feels strongly enough, he/she is always free to run for office and make the changes they feel are necessary.
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