OP-ED: When Town Halls Stop Listening, Democracy Suffers

By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews.com

Last week, Rep. Keith Self hosted a “Koffee with Keith” town hall in Farmersville. It was billed as an opportunity for constituents to engage directly with their representative. But what unfolded revealed something deeper about the political culture we’re living in—and it should give every resident of Texas’ 3rd Congressional District pause.

Attendance was capped at about 60 people. Preregistration and district verification were required. Upon arrival, attendees had to indicate if they’d be asking a question—and the topic.

Uniformed officers stood at the entrance and inside. Though no incident occurred, the visible police presence—and an opening warning from the police chief against anyone causing “trouble”—made the event feel more controlled than welcoming. In contrast, the nearby “No Kings” protest drew thousands with minimal security, making the town hall seem less like a civic forum and more like a staged production.

Most questions weren’t challenges—they were cues. Constituents asked about border “chaos,” “radical leftists” in education, federal overreach and government spending. Rep. Self responded with familiar refrains: talk of “criminal illegal aliens,” drug cartels, and vague foreign threats. one of it came with data, nor was any requested. Yet studies show undocumented immigrants in Texas are significantly less likely to be arrested for violent or drug-related crimes than native-born citizens.* But none of that was mentioned. Facts weren’t the point—repetition was.

Tensions rose when Rep. Self blamed “the left” for a string of political murders—including the killing of a healthcare CEO, two Jewish staffers in D.C., and two Minnesota lawmakers—linking Gov. Tim Walz without evidence. Jennifer Brimmage, a Republican healthcare worker, objected, calling it “not true,” but was quickly shouted down. One man hurled an expletive; others told her to shush. An event worker tried to calm things, but those heckling her were allowed to stayed. Rep. Self offered no response—and no acknowledgment.

Later, Brimmage was officially called on. She voiced concern about tone and made a plea for respect— explaining that although she had long voted Republican and even supported Rep. Self, she was troubled by how his newsletters and social media posts labeled dissenters as “radical leftists” or “useful idiots.” She saw herself in that language and asked for more respectful dialogue. Rep. Self interrupted with something to the effect of “Do you have a question?”—brushing past her concern without addressing the larger issue of how his rhetoric marginalizes disagreement. Then, later in the exchange as Brimage was making a point about previous administration policies, he dropped the phrase “Trump Derangement Syndrome”—a term used more to belittle than debate.

That moment wasn’t an outlier. Others who tried to challenge Self’s framing were met with impatience or contempt. Meanwhile, conspiratorial rhetoric about the “radical left” drew applause. Civil disagreement wasn’t welcomed—it was silenced.

Rep. Self also took aim at “activist judges,” accusing them of obstructing conservative policy. Criticizing court rulings is fair. But questioning the legitimacy of the judicial branch when decisions don’t align with your politics is dangerous. It erodes public trust and fans the same flames that have led to skepticism around elections and government agencies. When leaders imply that only favorable court decisions are valid, they chip away at one of democracy’s most essential guardrails.

At one point, he also labeled his opponents’ ideas as “Marxist.” It was a word deployed not to explain, but to inflame—reducing complex issues to caricature and closing the door on meaningful conversation.

Even when mass shootings came up—a topic painfully relevant in Collin County—Rep. Self showed little urgency. He offered no concrete policy proposals, reaffirmed his opposition to any gun reforms, and instead pivoted back to immigration. He repeated long-debunked claims that undocumented immigrants are defrauding Medicare, despite the fact that they are ineligible for those benefits.

This selective outrage—fired up over immigration, disengaged on gun violence—revealed a deeper imbalance. So did the selective enforcement of civility. At no point did Rep. Self ask his supporters to treat dissenters with respect. At no point did he model the kind of leadership that rises above partisanship. He had the opportunity to lead with grace. He didn’t take it.

None of this is surprising to those familiar with Rep. Self’s online persona. On social media, he frequently shares divisive content, accusing Democrats of “supporting riots,” “welcoming anarchists,” and pushing the so-called “Green New Scam.” In person, when given the chance to show restraint and dignity, he leaned into performance.

But we don’t need more performances.

Town halls should be places where all constituents—not just allies—can ask hard questions and get real answers. Where facts matter more than applause. Where leadership isn’t measured by who shouts the loudest, but who listens when it counts.

This isn’t about being a Democrat or Republican. It’s about what kind of civic culture we want in TX-03. It’s about whether our leaders represent all of us—or just the ones who cheer the loudest.

To those who keep showing up, even when it’s uncomfortable: don’t stop.
To our elected officials: applause isn’t accountability.
Because democracy doesn’t collapse in silence. It collapses when only some voices are allowed to be heard.

*Source: Light, M.T., et al. (2020). Comparing crime rates between undocumented immigrants, legal immigrants, and native-born U.S. citizens in Texas. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Link

Editor’s Note: TX3DNews reached out to Rep. Keith Self’s office for comment on the events described in this piece but did not receive a response by publication time.