The O’Toole Chronicle: Stop Stepping on the Lines

I have long been a student of two different occupations — acting and politics.

To many this cross-mixing of professions might strike one as odd. However, when you think about it there are a few similar themes and threads that seem to run through both. The similar theatrics, the playing to an audience, the emoting, the rehearsals, and the grand stages of both tie these two seemingly different professions.

The other common, yet largely unspoken similarity that can be found squarely in both occupations is this thing called — stepping on the lines.

In acting, to step on a line is to literally and (in an unscripted manner) speak over the dialogue of a fellow actor — it is long regarded as rude and unprofessional to speak out of sequence and to speak over the lines of others. This is generally shut down by the director and repeat offenders are shown a quick exit.

In politics, stepping on lines is treated with much more tolerance and much more acceptance — but why?

How many times do you see a politician during a town hall or press conference start the question and answer period, yet before the question is fully out of the mouth of the speaker, the on edge politician cuts off the question mid-way and starts to rapid fire what he or she thinks is the query. This is a classic case of stepping on a line, but is rarely or hardly ever called out. I can’t tell you how many committee meetings I attended in the Legislature where a legislator cut off a speaker before the question is fully articulated and the cock-sure legislator bullied through the answer, flattening the surprised member of the public — not cool.

This socially offensive behavior can sometimes be viewed on the Assembly and Senate floors. I remember speaking on the Senate floor and the Senator who sat directly behind me (no names, but will say it was Democrat who had long and distinguished career in Union County, is now retired and loves animals) got up in the middle of my speech to try and refute my calm, rationale point. I appealed to the then Senate President and he quickly admonished his fellow Senator and I was able to finish my point. No harm no foul.

But who today is there to blow the whistle or otherwise officiate when the elected official steps on the lines of the public? We encourage the public to attend our proceedings and we should afford them every respect to listen to their entire question or statement, no matter how hurtful, annoying, or ill-informed it might sound. The reality is the public usually has a handle on the cause and effect of certain pieces of proposed legislation and we need to hear it out —without annoyance or termination mid-stream.

This courtesy of allowing another individual to fully express his or her question or opinion without stepping on a line can be applied to any other occupation. We as a society would be well served if we had more respect and tolerance for each other and allow the expressions of others to be fully heard before we respond in kind.