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Oh, the hypocrisy, but there is an opportunity for redemption.
by Rob Roper
In the wake of multiple tragic incidents of political violence, Rep. Laura Sibilia (I-Dover) recently penned an op-ed calling for respect, participation, open mindedness, and dialogue with those with whom we disagree. “Too often,” she writes, “when people talk about those they [emphasis added] disagree with, I hear ‘they’ or ‘them.’ Used this way, these words are vague and dehumanizing. They create distance and make it easier to dismiss or demonize.”
All well and good, except for the fact that she used the term “they” to describe the people she reprimands for using the term “they.” I get it; English is a tricky language.
The piece rambles on for some five hundred words with preachy bromides such as, “The lesson is simple. Once we decide we already know everything about ‘them,’ we stop listening. Once we stop listening, we stop learning.” And “Real progress starts when we stay open to learning from one another.” She calls down from her high horse for us to eschew “phrases like ‘those people,’ ‘the left,’ ‘the right,’ ‘the politicians,’ ‘the media’ or ‘the elites.’ All of these labels lump people together and let us avoid dealing with what individuals are actually saying or doing.”
She should have stopped there. She could have gotten away with a dull and banal but relatively inoffensive act of politically mugging for the camera (or in this case the opinion page) on a topic of public interest. But she didn’t stop there. Sibilia decided to end her call for respect, civility, dialogue, and putting a stop to dehumanizing those with whom we disagree with this out of the blue verbal assault on, well, those with whom she disagrees:
National politics has grown more unstable, with threats, lies and violence replacing dialogue. We are already seeing some of that emerge here in Vermont, with outside groups like Americans for Prosperity working to inflame division.
Okay! I guess she was careful not to Americans for Prosperity as “those people,” but I would argue the label she employs, “outside groups,” is equally as bad if not worse as a means of they/theming, lumping, and dehumanizing those with different opinions. Is there a more evocative word you could come up with to “create distance and make it easier to dismiss or demonize” than “outside”? Oh, the sad hypocrisy, Laura!
Sibilia’s accusation that Americans for Prosperity (AFP) represents an emergence of “threats, lies and violence replacing dialogue” is totally unfounded and potentially libelous. Something she would realize if she were “paying attention to what the individuals” at and with AFP are, in her words, “actually saying or doing.”
In fact, AFP is saying and doing in Vermont exactly what Sibilia says we should all be saying and doing. Over the past several months, AFP held a series of public town hall meetings around Vermont to open up a dialogue between citizens and politicians to discuss the issues most important to the people of our state. These conversations have been civil, respectful, and productive. Exercises in the very listening and learning Sibilia says we need more of.
Sibilia’s beef with AFP is that she is a lead advocate for a number of policies that AFP opposes, including the Global Warming Solutions Act, the Clean Heat Standard tax on heating fuels, Cap & Invest carbon taxes on gasoline and diesel and the Renewable Energy Standard surcharges for electricity – all of which are regressive policies that drive up the cost energy. Based on polling — and the ultimate poll, the 2024 state house elections — generally speaking it appears a majority of Vermonters agree with the outsiders at AFP and not insider Sibilia in that we should not be actively making Vermont a less affordable place to drive, stay warm in winter, and power our appliances.
But rather than practice what she’s preaching and engage AFP in a constructive dialogue, Sibilia instead, in a flagrant act of projection, unleashes the “lying, divisive, flame-fanning outsider” label in order to “other” AFP in hopes that folks will dehumanize and dismiss – and certainly not listen and learn from – what AFP has to say. Uncool.
I do not criticize, however, without offering construction. If Rep. Sibilia genuinely believes what she wrote, that “Once we stop listening, we stop learning,” and “Real progress starts when we stay open to learning from one another,” then how about she and AFP hold a public panel discussion (or a series of them) delving deep into the Vermont energy policies she advocates for. Let her make her case. Let AFP make their case. Let the public weigh in with questions and comments.
I offer this idea up as a challenge and an opportunity to both parties. After all, “Real progress starts when we stay open to learning from one another.” Right?
Listening and learning?
Rob Roper is a freelance writer who has been involved with Vermont politics and policy for over 20 years. This article reprinted with permission from Behind the Lines: Rob Roper on Vermont Politics, robertroper.substack.com
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Categories: Commentary, State Government
Interesting video Rob, well done.
and yes, there is lot’s to discuss….:)
Question stands.Are you willing to sit at the table Sibilia and really look and discuss at the research and have an open conversation? We wait for your response .
Democrats can’t sit and have a discussion with someone of opposing views without resorting to talking over the answers, pressing for yes/no answers by repeatedly saying Yes or No and shouting. See Bernie at Congressional Hearings. They don’t want to understand the viewpoint but to emblazon their position
Yes. Actually a little over a year ago I invited her to have such a discussion. Set it up for WVMT’s morning drive; she declined saying it didn’t allow for in depth conversation. Ok, I offered to do it on gmat with a two hour format moderated by Andrew McKeever. She said yes, but in the fall (it was summer). Fall came I reached out again to set a date. No response. Again. No response….. still, any time anywhere.
When reasonable people are allowed to disagree with name calling FOR disagreeing or being referred to as a MAGA or racist, I will take this seriously.
I suspect, Rob, that such an invitation will be met with rejection on the (party line) basis that it would make the good representative “uncomfortable”. That was the line used by our House reps to avoid a candidates’ forum in 2022. And of course, the state republican party is nowhere to be seen or heard to hold them to account.
Unfortunately our representatives are the real “outsiders”.
Great article Mr.Roper. All I would add is, just follow the Money…
Funny to hear the word “preachy” used to describe the language in Rep. Sibilia’s piece. If you sit in the House chamber for any length of time with this representative you will quickly learn how apt that adjective is.
Rob,
Your recollection of trying to meet last year doesn’t quite match my emails, but you’re right, we never completed scheduling a discussion.
As you know, I’ve participated in many public discussions on energy policy with people from a wide range of perspectives, on GNAT, in my hometown, regionally, and at state events including the state conference for fuel dealers. I also attended several of your sessions last year to hear your views. You shared a lot of policy content, which I respect and appreciate, but you also used a significant number of personal attacks against those you disagree with.
I’ve told you directly, while shaking your hand and looking you in the eye, that those kinds of personal attacks and dehumanizing comments have the potential to incite violence. I’ve asked you to be more mindful of the words you use. We can disagree without dehumanizing one another. I’m someone’s mom.
Americans for Prosperity is a dark money advocacy organization with deep ties to the fossil fuel industry. Across the country they’ve worked to roll back climate policy and influence elections. Their priority is protecting fossil fuel profits, not Vermont or Vermonters. AFP has spent significant money spreading misinformation here and is structured to obscure who funds it. That misinformation stokes fear and division.
I’m happy to continue meeting with Vermonters and others to discuss policy. But I’m not going to provide additional platforms for national fossil fuel interests to spread fear. AFP already has ample outlets: radio, GOP forums, postcards, and email campaigns, and now, your columns. They don’t need my help.
I’ll be glad to meet with you when you’re ready to have a discussion focused on ideas, not personal attacks. You have my contact information.
Representative Sibilia, you approached me in the State House Cafeteria on March 14, two days after your party leadership issued a public statement denouncing DeTrans Awareness Day Event as an “attack” on the transgender community – an event that was never allowed to take place because the event was shouted out by intimidating protesters who were causing fear among some of the people who had attended in order to learn. I had a sign displayed at my lunch table stating, “Truth is not Transphobic.” You said that you see that I was expressing my First Amendment rights, and you wanted to express your First Amendment rights (First Amendment rights dont require that i listen to your opinion, but i was open to listening), after which you expressed your opinion on Trump’s military policy. I then asked if you wanted to hear about the DeTrans Awareness Day Event. You said no and walked away. So, in my opinion, you are dishonest in stating that you are interested in dialogue. You did not denounce the disruption of our event. Members of your party facilitated protesters. Hypocrisy is an accurate description of your words and actions.
Laura, name the time and place. I’m happy to have a debate with you on energy policy, education policy, whatever you like. I tried to set something up with you last summer/fall and you ultimately ghosted me. So, ball’s in your court.
Americans for Prosperity is a 501c4. If that makes them a “dark money” operation with deep ties to special interests, then so is VPIRG — and you eat lunch pretty regularly with their lobbyists and are happy to do their bidding. It’s not how they’re funded; it’s that you disagree with them and they you. If you really believed AFP was peddling lies, I would think you’d welcome the opportunity to expose them as such. Shine a light into their darkness!
I do not make personal attacks on anyone, but I will go hard after ideas I believe to be foolish or thoughtless, sales pitches I believe to be dishonest or wrong, and I will call out hypocrisy and corruption. No apologies for that. Nor, I will add, do I take criticism of my ideas and perspectives personally. I respect that others are passionate about their positions, as they should be. But if you believe in your policies, you should be able to defend them against passionate criticism. And, if they don’t hold up, you should be willing to change your mind.
Re: “I’ll be glad to meet with you when you’re ready to have a discussion focused on ideas, not personal attacks. You have my contact information.”
Okay, Rob. That’s an invitation to debate issues if I’ve ever heard one. Please start the conversation right here on VDC. Forget Americans for Prosperity. Its donations are no cleaner than were, for example, Sam Bankman-Fried’s ‘dark money’. Let’s hear about specific issues.
Is Ms. Sibilia willing to consider the expansion of School Choice Tuition vouchers?
Will she reconsider Starlink to expand internet access?
What is her assessment of the return on investment into the Clean Heat Standard compared to the disproportionate cost to Vermont heating bills so far?
To be honest, I’m not interested in whether or not anyone’s feelings are hurt by criticism. And I understand that limiting any discussion to what is perceived to be a ‘personal attack’ is counterproductive. But when anyone tries to take my hard-earned money for ‘the common good’, they’d better be prepared to demonstrate a reasonable return on the investment.
Postscript: I’m not going to hold my breath in this regard. As always, the proof of Ms. Sibilia’s willingness to engage is in the pudding.