Is Kent County Levy Court’s action of Nov. 18 — during which Commissioner Jody Sweeney was publicly stripped of his role as chair of his committees — a reflection of the nasty, punitive and shaming strategy some politicians have adopted? The chair of Levy Court had the legal right to do what she did, but she could have done it privately. Would a reprimand have been effective in sending Commissioner Sweeney a message — an opinion, if you will — about what he says or does as a private citizen? What was the goal of Levy Court’s decision? How did Levy Court’s action help Levy Court or the citizens of Kent County?
You don’t have to like what an elected official says to recognize when a line is being crossed. Removing an elected official from committees and public liaison roles — not for misconduct, not for corruption, not for failure to serve constituents but simply for expressing political opinions on his personal social media page — is retaliation, not governance.
The First Amendment exists precisely to protect speech that we find obnoxious, offensive or unpopular. Popular speech doesn’t need protection. And, while the government can disagree with him, it cannot punish him for constitutionally protected expression without undermining the very principles it claims to uphold. If voters don’t like what he says, voters can decide to oust him at the ballot box.
But political punishment for political speech is a dangerous precedent — because, if it can be done to someone you dislike today, it can be done to someone you support tomorrow.
Committees and liaison positions should be assigned based on effectiveness and service, not ideological conformity. We should be far more worried about the erosion of constitutional protections than about a Facebook post that hurt someone’s feelings.
In America, the answer to speech you don’t like is more speech, not less. Shame on Levy Court for feeding into this bull and basically bending the knee!
Tracey Miller
Joseph Zingaro
Dover
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
