Jessica Yellin Instagram – HUMAN MOMENTS OR UNACCEPTABLE IN LEADERS? A House Oversight Committee meeting on whether to hold AG Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress descended into chaos spurred by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s comment on Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s appearance. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez demanded Greene apologize (she refused), and Crockett clapped back with her own attack on Greene’s appearance. This fight struck us because it is just so unusual to see in Congress (well, except a few months ago when Sen. Markwayne Mullin challenged the president of the Teamsters to a fistfight on the Senate floor). It is what we see on social media these days and increasingly in protests and even in our own disagreements. So many of us find it increasingly impossible to disagree without getting hostile and worse. When it’s modeled in the halls of government and by our elected leaders that sets off alarm bells for me. I wonder – what do you think of this? Is it a sign that something is wrong with how we interact or just human moments? If the former what can and should our leaders do to shift and represent differently? Or are there times when provocateurs (MTG) require call outs and and forced boundaries? How would you explain this moment to a child you’re teaching to fight with ideas not personal attacks? Or how do you retain your calm when provoked in moments like this? Please share your thoughts.