Tim Beveridge: We should be worried about the way we engage with each other

I don't mind telling you that I get a little tense talking about the sort of stuff that came out of the events that we witnessed in Albert Park on the weekend, because passions, as we saw, ran very high. 

I've taken a bit of time over the past 24/48 hours to think about those events and also look at a bit of video coverage, and I think we should be deeply worried about the way we engage with each other and with other points of view with which we might not agree. It's almost become a distraction to talk about any of the substance of the opinions surrounding the personalities involved around Posie Parker, otherwise known as Ms Keen-Minshull, and the Pride movement.

Because it seems now that when it comes to the big issues, we've reduced the level of our discourse or discussion to that of a pantomime, where we have to find the big bad villain or the wicked witch. Where everyone can boo and hiss when they come on stage. And I hate to say it, but it was a lot worse than that on the weekend.

And, understandably, we have politicians commenting on it like Christopher Luxon, who understandably tiptoes gently through the tulips, pointing out that there were many peaceful, people there and making some sensible comments to defending the right to free speech. But closer to the action, I'm going to steal the words of Brendan O'Neill at The Spectator when he said that this what it must have been like when women were marched to the stake.

He compared it to the ritualistic shaming of a witch and a violent purging of a heretic. Some would say simply for having a different opinion, but here's the thing. Regardless of the substance of the arguments, we have to be better than this. We have to be able to discuss things. 

Shout and make a noise if you like, but we have to be able to debate the substance of the issues.  

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