The other day I went to a boxing match and a street brawl broke out. This is what most people felt after having watched the first televised presidential debate last night. Just like boxing matches, debates have rules for both sides to adhere to. However, no one should be surprised that Donald Trump does not believe in rules and constantly interrupted Joe Biden throughout the debate, despite the admonitions of the poor moderator. Like many other observers, this was the first and hopefully last time that I ever witness such an embarrassing spectacle after having followed many years of political debates held here in Canada and in the U.S.
Normally, a debate allows two or more participants to lay out their positions on one or more issues in a civil and respectful manner. The key adjective here is “respectful”. In a democracy, one is taught that everyone has a right to express their opinion in a non-violent and transparent way, respecting the right of others to do so as well. Under most debating protocols, persons are given a specific time frame in which to outline their position on the issue in question without interruption. Then the opposing person is allowed to present his or her views. Next, each side usually is then given time for rebuttal of the other side’s position. The main role of the moderator should be to submit the issue for discussion and then to ensure the allocated time frames are adhered to by the debaters. The primary purpose of a debate is to provide the viewer with an overview of the debaters’ positions on certain specific issues in a brief, fair and concise manner.
Name calling and personal attacks have no place in a civil debate. These belong in places where mob rule applies, which unfortunately often leads to violent confrontations. If the American people endorse Trump’s behaviour during the debate, then there is little left to salvage civil society. As in most debates, I chose to not pick sides and was more interested in the issues being debated and the manner in which they were debated. These are extremely important issues and candidates for such a powerful position need to be clearly heard. To do so in a constructive manner, all sides need to refrain from mud slinging — increasingly an inherent part of political rallies. Otherwise, what is the point of holding future debates?
FROLITICKS 
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