By KATE BLAIN
Assistant Editor
"As a candidate for public office, I pledge the following:
"1. To share my vision for the common good with straightforward speech and civil behavior that extends justice and respect for others.
"2. To refuse to participate in personal attacks on my opponents, either by character assassination and innuendo, or other techniques of divisiveness and control.
"3. To create opportunities for fair and reasoned public debate on the issues of public concern."
Such is the "civility pledge" that the Interfaith Alliance of New York State recently sent to approximately 155 candidates for public office on the city, county and state level.
Public promise
The Alliance, made up of representatives of more than 60 faith communities and ecumenical organizations, plans to publish in various forums a list of candidates who sign the pledge as part of an effort to raise the standards of political campaigning in the state.
"It's a public promise candidates make to citizens that as they campaign, they're going to have the highest standards of sharing information on public issues -- that they're not going to fall into denigrating their opponents, labeling or creating unsubstantiated information that their opponent lacks in traits for leadership," stated Sister Alethea Connolly, CSJ, director of the Office of Housing and Social Policy for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet's Albany Province.
A member of the Alliance, Sister Alethea was instrumental in initiating the effort. Those who sign the pledge, she told The Evangelist, are sending the message that "the high ground is going to be upheld."
Cleaning the mud
That is not often the case with many political candidates, according to Jim Murphy, an Alliance member and coordinator of the Capital Region Ecumenical Organization.
Quoting Adlai Stevenson, he remarked, "`Politicians who throw mud lose ground.' The climate of political debate in our country has been lowering. [Candidates] are less concerned with the issues than saying what's wrong" with their opponents.
Last year, said Sister Alethea, the Alliance received notice that the Rochester Interfaith Alliance in Monroe County had sent a civility pledge to politicians there. As discussions on faith and citizenship became more and more prevalent at Alliance gatherings, she said, members spoke of "too much attention put on adversarial, combative ways of looking at campaigns," and decided they would create a similar pledge.
Political role
The Alliance believes that the work of faith communities extends into the political arena.
"It's obvious to the Interfaith Alliance," said Mr. Murphy, "that the morals and concerns of religious people should be brought to the political marketplace in a way that speaks to the value of respect for individuals and the presence of God in everyone."
Backing off from attacking their opponents can help politicians remember the true purpose of elections, said Sister Alethea: namely, identifying leaders who speak on issues people are concerned about.
Reform and inform
The pledge "is reform in the sense that the very foundation a democracy needs to rest on is that of an informed public," she stated.
By reminding candidates that the moral principles of "fairness, respect and integrity" are paramount, the Alliance hopes to see the Golden Rule become the standard for campaigning.
(The Interfaith Alliance can be reached at 436-9319, ext. 17.)