“Politicians and diapers need to be changed often…for the same reasons.” This quote (wrongly ) attributed to Mark Twain is among what must be millions of jokes told to show politicians in a bad light.
Indeed, politicians have probably heard most of them at some stage in their careers, yet why are our politicians held in such low regard? After all, they have been elected by the people (often the same people telling those jokes! ) and if, in the opinion of whatever electorate they stand before, they do not do a good job, then they can get thrown out on their ear in the next election.
However, it sometimes seems an elected representative — whether a local councillor, TD, or other — simply cannot win. No matter how hard they try, regardless of how much time they spend working to help people, they tend to be tarred with the same well-used brush, that there is “no such thing as a good politician”.
Of course, people will cite the much-publicised cases where politicians have been found by the courts to have been corrupt in their dealings, after maybe years of being out to line their own pockets. What they forget, or simply neglect to add, is that these are a tiny minority of what is, in the main, a hard-working and honest body of men and women who really do have the best interests of the people they were elected to serve at heart.
Keyboard warriors
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So who would be a politician today? Jokes aside, there is so much vitriol directed against almost all politicians nowadays, and with the growth in the numbers and activity of the anonymous keyboard warriors, the extent and the tone of abuse suffered by elected representatives has sky-rocketed in recent years.
It may be a small minority leading the abuse, but often the empty drum makes the loudest noise, and their often warped opinions can drown out the voices of reason, especially online. It is a little like the anti-vaccine sentiment that some people in this country seem determined to drive home at every opportunity — and dish out vile abuse online and in person on those who have been vaccinated.
Since more than 95 per cent of the adult population of this State have been vaccinated, these people must be among the less than five per cent who have not received a vaccination. That said, most of that five per cent are probably decent people with genuine concerns or a reluctance, for whatever reason, to get the ‘jab’ — and do not feel the need to heap insult on the majority of people who have sought the protection the vaccine offers.
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So really, of that five per cent, who many are likely to be the people who spare nothing or no-one in their vigorous spewing of hatred? Very few. Yet, despite their small numbers they can make a big impact.
Toxic tweets
There was some interesting Irish research published recently on the level of abuse politicians recieve on Twitter. It found that almost 100,000 of what it termed toxic tweets were directed at Irish politicians over a single year, from September 2020 to September last year. ‘Severe toxicity’ was found in 26,000 of them.
There were more than 38,000 threats toward politicians, along with 15,842 sexually explicit comments, and 77,040 insults. The research reviewed 2.6 million tweets posted — finding that supporters of Sinn Féin and Fine Gael post the most abusive messages toward politicians on Twitter.
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Disturbingly, it also found that female councillors get eight times more abuse than their male counterparts.
It revealed that Fine Gael Galway City West councillor, Clodagh Higgins, and the Green Party’s Dublin councillor, Hazel Chu, were at the receiving end of the most amount of abuse in response to comments they posted online.
One tweet by Cllr Higgins, on the provision of wheelchair-accessible public seating, prompted 545 responses classified as ‘toxic’ by the author, Dr Ian Richardson.
It is difficult enough to get people enthused about entering politics, but when, if the aspiring politician is a woman, she will have to cope with misogynistic knuckle-draggers on top of the usual politician knockers, then the outlook would appear bleak.
Taking on the challenge
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Of course, it is not just female politicians who have unjustified abuse directed at them, and of course it is not a problem unique to Ireland.
However, Insider has a real concern that, as this level and volume of abuse continues unchecked, men and women who could do a wonderful job in voicing the hopes and fears of the people in their area, helping the vulnerable, and fighting for their community’s rights, may decide it is just not worth the trouble.
Thankfully, we do continue to have many who are still willing to take on the challenge — and many who continue to do sterling work as elected representatives.
Anyone who puts their name on a ballot paper is a hero in a way, and someone who should command respect — notwithstanding the right of the people to hold them firmly to their commitments and challenge each and every decision they make on their local council or in the Dáil.
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Insider has no pat answers to the question of how to tackle the level of unjustified abuse hurled at our politicians, but is in no doubt of the need for people to fully engage in the democratic process, as voters and as candidates. The alternative of a disinterested and uninvolved populace will only bring disharmony and discontentment to our society.
The Greek philosopher Plato had another none too subtle way of putting it: One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.
