“Good idea,” I thought when I read that Rep. Jim Hagedorn would be holding a town hall meeting with constituents at Southwest Middle School in Albert Lea on Friday. Then I read the proverbial “fine print.” First off, Rep. Hagedorn will be available to the public from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Does that mean he believes that one of the population centers of his Congressional district is worth only an hour of public contact?

Then I read that those who wish to address questions to Mr. Hagedorn must provide proof of federally-approved identification and that residents of Freeborn County would be given preference. That idea smacks of an impediment to freedom of expression, a cornerstone of our democracy. Given Mr. Hagedorn’s reputation for not wanting to deal with anyone who disagrees with him, this tactic seems like an effort to avoid having to deal with criticism, a poor trait for someone in public office.

After much deliberation, I found that Mr. Hagedorn’s apparent disdain for open and civil public discourse is not a surprise. I recall clearly his stated desire in a television interview last October that he wanted to get elected so that he could go to Washington, D.C., to carry forth the work of President Trump. I thought he was elected to represent the interests of the people of southern Minnesota, not to be a lackey for a documented serial liar. In other words, “My bad.” I thought he worked for us.

Lest someone brand me a liberal, Democrat or whiner, please understand this. I neither agree nor disagree with Mr. Hagedorn’s political beliefs. Politics don’t interest me in the least. I do know from high school civics class, though, that his policies in this case represent a subtle but real threat to democracy.

Michael Schoepf

Albert Lea