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"Passion against" vs. "enthusiasm for" a cause5/9/08 Having attended one meeting of the CFO (the open meeting with Rep. Tom Calter) I can attest to the fact that it isn't just their leaders and those who hold signs at demonstrations who are passionate about their cause. I respect them for this even though I object at times to their tactics and to the behavior of a few casino opponents. Not all casino advocates are pristine pure in their behavior either. There was a heated political battle of persuasion for votes prior to the town meeting. It would be both naive and disingenuous to say that only the con side utilized calculated tactics to win. In politics each side has a strategy and every strategy has tactics. Since the "KKK issue" has come up again I want to deal with that first. Let's not forget that I wrote about this before the vote. I was truly concerned about CERA because one of their board members was opposing the casino. These were heady hot and heavy political days. Did I know that this might be a distraction for the CFO. Of course I did. The decision to bring it up had a tactical element as I knew it could be a distraction if not handled deftly by the opponents. Okay, I'm not pristine pure. Once I learned about CERA's history with other tribes I was convinced that they should not be involved in Middleboro. Just because something I do has a political aspect doesn't mean my motivations are totally impure. This was very important to me. Could the CFO have diffused the issue? Of course they could have, but that would have provided a measure of credibility to the pro-casino side. They made a tactical political decision to ignore it and luckily for them the media didn't pick it up. In retrospect, from their point of view, it turned out to be the correct political decision. Passion and enthusiasm The casino controversy is a textbook example of how in many instances those who are against something have passion on their side while those who favor it may lack passion but are enthusiastic instead. Leaving aside that most would agree that the Mashpee Wampanoag had both passion and enthusiasm, let's look at Middleboro. Casino opponents viewed the casino as bringing so many strong negatives that they easily discounted the benefits. The strongest negative, and one I wrote about and agreed with, was the increase in pathological gambling. I felt that as a psychotherapist I was in a good position on the pro side to emphasize the necessity of addressing this at the top of the mitigation list. The opponent's passion was and still is reflected in their rhetoric. They made dire predictions using adjectives selected to emphasize the gravity of their concerns. This was not just because they were engaged in persuasion, but because they truly felt that way. Casino advocates saw increased revenue and jobs as reasons for being enthusiastic about a casino. I don't know anybody outside of the tribe who I'd say was deeply passionate about having a casino in Middleboro. Our language reflected this. I never heard words like glorious and wonderful used to describe how the casino would effect the town's future but I sure heard the opponents using antonyms. If I'd been advising the anti-casino group prior to the town election, with varying interpretations of and weights assigned to* the facts already well publicized, I would have told them to encourage their allies to speak from the heart with as much passion as they could muster. They mustered lots of facts, but as we know from observing politics demonstrating passion often is more effective than reciting facts. What I wrote in support of the casino demonstrates enthusiasm for the benefits but I could hardly write with a passion I didn't feel. >>>
| When passion turns to anger Following the town meeting I saw a growing increase in anger being expressed by casino opponents through personal attacks against casino supporters. Following the forced resignation of Glenn Marshall I saw a brief lessening of anger as many thought this would derail the tribe's efforts. When this didn't happen, the anger increased even more. There are specific events that I think led to this. The failed recall attempt, and then the failure to elect anti-casino selectmen in the regular election may be another reason for increased anger. The state legislature's defeat of Gov. Patrick's bill may have helped rather than hurt the prospects for a Middleboro casino. Adam Bond, considered to be the driving force behind the town meeting vote to approve the agreement with the tribe, now has a radio show where he periodically deals with casino issues. Nobody on the anti-casino side has an equivalent venue. Add to that, the tribe is moving closer towards having their land put into trust, If the anger I see coming from the anti-casino side, as reflected in comments to various blogs, is indicative of how the casino opponents feel, there are a lot of residents who are worried that all their efforts to stop the casino will come to naught. It is one of the oldest psychological tenets that in many instances anger is fueled by frustration. When you are passionate about something and seem to be losing, it makes sense that you will feel frustrated. The more helpless you feel the more frustrated and hence, at least for some, the more angry. Many people are able to handle frustration and anger in productive ways. In our own controversy, we seen reasoned courteous debate and unfortunately thanks to the ease of Internet postings, we've seen insults flowing from keyboard to monitor screen instantly I do think everyone needs to take a few deep breaths and reflect on their own behavior. I admit I am engaged in a politics, I am not holier than thou. I look for things to write about that will support my cause. However, I am aware that my credibility depends on trying to publish the truth even when it is inconvenient. I write about the truth be it pro or con because that is who I am. Question that and you attack one of my core values. * revised |
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It's real. It's serious. But because Middleboro almost certain to host a resort that is also a major casino, we should learn the basics about this psychiatric disorder.
