EDITORIAL: We mustn’t silence our voices

Published 9:05 am Thursday, August 27, 2020

Just days after the measure failing in a 3-2 vote, Baldwin County Commissioners approved a masked ordinance in a vote reversal Tuesday afternoon. 

The ordinance approved Tuesday is the same as the one commissioners voted on last week. So what changed?

County officials heard from — and listened to — the voices of their constituents. 

Whether agree or disagree, we must respect the voices of the people being heard. Residents spoke up on the mask ordinance and made their voices clear. The majority of county commissioners said that their vote was influenced by feedback they received from their constituents — both in favor and opposed to the ordinance.

The same should be done on other key issues in local government. Perhaps had the voices been listened to last week, there wouldn’t have been a need for a second meeting on the same ordinance. 

Too often there is an outcry from residents far too after the fact. We often don’t voice our opinions unless it’s in the role of Monday morning quarterback. We frequently aren’t present — whether in-person at meetings (pre-pandemic), or by calling or emailing our government officials until proposals have directly affected us or someone we know. 

We don’t speak up enough before the fact. 

That needs to change. It did, at least, on Tuesday — if only on this particular issue. 

Commissioner Emily C. Davis, who opposed the mask ordinance last week, said that she was swayed by her constituents, reversing her vote because she listened to the public outcry from the people in her district that she represents. Fellow commissioners Sammy Hall and Johnny Westmoreland both posed a question on the ordinance on their personal social media pages, soliciting input from residents. While the majority of their responses were against the county-wide ordinance, they listened to constituent feedback. Their opinions didn’t prevail on this particular issue but they let to thoughts be known. Sometimes our voices aren’t in the majority. Such was the case for many of those in Hall and Westmoreland’s districts, but at least they let their thoughts be known. We shouldn’t muzzle our thoughts because we don’t win on every issue.

Keep in mind, however, that this carries with it a responsibility to be well informed on the issues at hand, of course. Poorly informed involvement is likely worse than no involvement at all. 

Government at every level, particularly at the local level, is most effective when there is an active and engaged citizenry. Local leaders need — and should want — to hear the voice of their constituents.

Too often, first and second readings are conducted on ordinances and little to no one shows up to offer input, ask questions, share concerns or offer opposing or even supporting views. Unless that is, it’s a controversial topic. Keep in mind, however, that not every decision in government involves a hot-button issue such as COVID-19 or even IPMC for that matter. Most of them aren’t. But all of them impact our day-to-day lives. 

Why wouldn’t we want to be heard on issues such as those?

To all the constituents who voiced their thoughts directly to their elected county officials on the mask ordinance — those both in opposed and unopposed to the measure — thanks for doing so. 

The more voices that come to the table, the stronger and greater the impact. 

We need to let our voices be heard.

Citizens mustn’t silence their voices.