[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 86 (Thursday, June 30, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 30, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                 RAISE THE LEVEL OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE

  Mr. BOREN. Mr. President, I will just take just a moment.
  I want to express my appreciation to my colleagues from Arkansas, 
Senator Pryor and Senator Bumpers, for the comments that they have just 
made.
  I remained on the floor after the last vote to bring to the floor 
some college students, who are working as members of my staff this 
summer, so that they might have the experience of seeing the Senate in 
action. I am glad that they had an opportunity to hear the remarks of 
Senator Pryor, and I am glad that they had the opportunity to hear the 
remarks of Senator Bumpers.
  We have been drifting, in our politics over the last 2 decades or so, 
into a higher level of inhumanity and, as Senator Pryor said, 
incivility in our political discourse in this country.
  We should have a lively debate on the issue. It is fair to debate to 
try to destroy the arguments of the other side. But all too often we 
have not stopped to understand that we are also often dealing with the 
lives of human beings, and, in the course of trying to destroy the 
argument on the other side of an issue, very often in our politics we 
have turned toward trying to destroy the person who makes those 
arguments, forgetting that they are human beings with records of 
personal character and integrity, with families who suffer when they 
are attacked.
  I think it is very important, Mr. President, that we reflect upon 
what has happened in this case and that we resolve that human beings 
will not be treated as pawns in a political chess game, even those with 
whom we have the most sharp disagreements.
  I presided over some confirmation hearings as a committee chairman of 
this body. I have observed confirmation hearings of controversial 
nominees. I have seen us time and time again cross the line between 
meritorious discussion of issues into a discussion of personalities 
that seems to substitute rational discourse and in place of it put 
personal attacks.
  I hope we reflect upon what our colleagues have said today and each 
of us try to do what we can to raise the level of political discourse, 
civility, and humanity in the public life of this country.

                          ____________________