Members of a Syracuse Common Council committee, part of the national moment of silence in the wake of the Arizona shooting.
/ Photojournalist Brian Erb
Syracuse Common Councilors were part of the national moment of silence on Monday, pausing before a committee meeting to remember those killed and injured in the weekend Arizona shooting spree. They were also sobered by the attack on politicians.
Nader Maroun, democratic 5th district Common Councilor, says that he expects to keep doing public meetings and appearances because that's part of his job---but he admits that he, and others, will be more cautious.
At Syracuse University, political scientist Grant Reeher, who heads up the Campbell Policy Institute at SU's Maxwell School, says the shootings 'may have a bit of a chilling effect' on the way public meetings happen, especially on their frequency.
Professor Reeher also talked about the effect on the incident on people who choose public service---he says the physical danger shown in the weekend incident is just the latest concern, and the escalation in non-civility in political rhetoric is just as much a concern. Reher says politicians take hits from the media, and from political opponents at campaign time, and
the talk as the business of politics is conducted has also become nastier. He worries about those trends, but does not see the weekend's incident as the 'tipping point' that will change it all: "We've had these moments before," he says, citing the dialogues after 9/11 and at other times in our recent history, that have not really made changes.
But at Syracuse City Hall, Councilor Maroun the weekend events have made him think hard about treating people with respect---he says he intends to enforce civility at the meetings he chairs.
