Preston Xanthopoulos: Lessons from Thomas Paine on today's nasty political discourse

Who could’ve predicted that a car insurance television ad could cause me half a day of research into Thomas Paine writings and meanings?  But, this week a CarShield ad did just that.

You know the company. It uses pitchmen like Ice-T, who some may think of as a rapper of yesteryear, and I think of as my favorite cop in "Law and Order: SVU”, to sell you car repair insurance. Well, now they’re getting philosophical in their sales. I looked up from my computer when I heard the Thomas Paine quote, “If you’re afraid to offend, you can’t be honest.”  That’s a little bit of a modernized version of the English-born, American, political philosopher’s quote which was, “He who dares not offend, cannot be honest.”

He apparently wrote that in something called a “Forester Letter”, in response to a “Cato Letter”. Paine penned the words in 1776. A good year for America. Understanding his context took some Googling, and more than one cup of tea. If there’s a historian out there that wants to grab spot of English-breakfast with lemon, let me know, I’d love to learn more about all of this—something I have either forgotten since my school years, or simply never learned.  We all get taught Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”. His work is much broader and deeper.

This is, of course, the man who also noted, “These are the times that try men’s souls”, and, “Those who want to reap the benefits of this great nation must bear the fatigue of supporting it.” I wonder if he knew just how pertinent his words would be, nearly 250 years later.

However, I’m going to disagree with the great patriotic author, because, while he may have predicted his words would last the existence of America, he didn’t predict…the internet. He didn’t predict just how much hatred and anger could be shared in a moment. And, as vitriolic as the battle for American freedom, he probably didn’t predict just how much people would be willing to try destroy each other—their livelihoods, their families, their safety—over political disagreement. (OK, he was a contemporary of the Revolutionary War.  Maybe he did understand that. But, should that really be comparable to today?)

“He who dares not offend, cannot be honest.” We all cannot be so bold, nor so brave. To be “honest” today, means to offend someone. That someone has the power of the internet to connect with hundreds or thousands, or in some cases, millions of others who are all but willing to seek and destroy the very life of someone they disagree with, and most of us, simply don’t have the ability to withstand that kind of backlash.  We’ve all seen it. A famous person makes a political statement and he or she is “cancelled”, if it is not in agreement with whatever politically charged group or opinion is popular that day.

We’ve seen it happen to regular folk too. Weigh in on a political issue and people have had their jobs threatened. People boycott companies that the “speaker” works for, because they don’t like who they are voting for or how they feel about gun control or abortion or immigration or the environment. Make no mistake, while we haven’t lost our government right to free speech in America—yet—our fellow Americans have taken away our willingness to exert that right to free speech because the retribution is as bad as if government itself were handing down the punishment.

This must change.

I should not be afraid to lose my livelihood because you don’t agree with me about former President Donald Trump or current President Joe Biden; my speech should not be stifled, because we disagree on whether an 18 year old should have the right to buy a gun or if the Keystone Pipeline should be built; I should not be forced into silence, to protect my family, because of my stance on gay marriage or opinion of transgender women in female scholastic sports.  No matter how controversial, we have the right to speak and any attempt to silence a fellow American, is nothing more than to asphyxiate  an opposing view, because you don’t want anyone to know it is out there. In a nation built on freedom, I don’t think this is what Thomas Paine or any founding father predicted. We need to be able to speak again.

It’s time we again allow ourselves and each other to actually discuss the hard things. This doesn’t mean it will always be easy. I do a weekly radio show/podcast with former Democratic Congressman Paul Hodes and political consultant Matt Robison, and it gets “passionate” at times.  You can listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-politics/id1369437819.  We end the show friends. And, do it again the following week.

Gun control, abortion, death penalty, climate change, January 6th, Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, transgender athletes, critical race theory, race relations, all of it. We need Thomas Paine to be right again.  Words have consequences. Words of expression of otherwise normal political discourse should not have life-changing consequences. If you don’t agree with me, tell me. Discuss with me why.  Maybe I’ll learn something. Perhaps you will. After the discussion, we can get that cup of tea…together.  Then be allowed to go back to our lives, personally and professionally.

Alicia Preston Xanthopoulos is a former political consultant and member of the media. She’s a native of Hampton Beach where she lives with her family and three poodles. Write to her at PrestonPerspective@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Preston Xanthopoulos: Thomas Paine and today's nasty political discourse