Every now and again, a politician makes a proposal in jest that I wish would become reality. Enter Missouri Republican State Sen. Nick Schroer, who had the unmitigated gall to propose a motion that would allow members of the state legislature to settle their differences the same way Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton did.
That’s right, folks. He proposed that officials should be allowed to participate in duels if they feel their honor has been sufficiently insulted. Missouri’s Democrats posted a copy of the proposed measure on social media, probably to denigrate Schroer’s idea.
Rule 103. If a senator’s honor is impugned by another senator to the point that it is beyond repair and in order for the offended senator to gain satisfaction, such senator may rectify the perceived insult to the senator’s honor by challenging the offending senator to a duel. The trusted representative, known as the second, of the offended senator shall send a written challenge to the offending senator. The two senators shall agree to the terms of the duel, including choice of weapons, which shall be witnessed and enforced by their respective seconds. The duel shall take place in the well of the senate at the hour of high noon on the date agreed to by the parties to the duel.
Perhaps Schroer’s bill is warranted given the tensions in Missouri’s legislature. On Thursday, RedState’s Susie Moore reported on a fracas occurring between Republican state senators over various matters, including abortion. The conflict resulted in members of the state’s Freedom Caucus being removed from committee assignments and their parking spots being taken away.
It’s the same old song, with “establishment” players pitted against the conservative caucus, and in Missouri, it’s turned into trench warfare. On Tuesday, Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden took the extraordinary measure of stripping Freedom Caucus members of committee chairmanships — and parking spots — in retaliation for their filibuster last Thursday over legislation aimed at raising the bar on the initiative petition process for amending Missouri’s Constitution. [Side Note: Presently, the threshold for passing constitutional amendments in the state is 50 percent, and the state’s Constitution has a whopping 119 amendments.]
This is a pressing concern for Missourians on many fronts, but most notably when it comes to the issue of life — Missouri’s prohibition against abortion (with the limited exception for medical emergencies) was triggered and went into effect when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with the Dobbs decision in June of 2022.
The Republican civil war in the Missouri Senate reached a new crescendo of strife Tuesday, when Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden stripped four members of their committee chairs and declared he was acting against “a small group of swamp creatures.”
The action toward members of the newly formed Freedom Caucus took away traditional prerogatives of senior legislators and even relegated the targeted four to parking spots as far from the Missouri Capitol building as possible.
Schroer’s chief of staff explained the lawmaker’s proposal in an interview:
Jamey Murphy, Schroer’s chief of staff, told Newsweek: “Senator Schroer is deeply committed to restoring a sense of honor in the Missouri Senate. While the idea of a duel may have been suggested in a metaphorical sense, the core message is about fostering respect and reminding members that the words used in a debate may have real consequences.
“It is evident to new members of the Senate that the success of priority legislation is currently dependent on personalities, and old wounds are preventing important language from becoming law. Until personal disputes find resolution and true leaders step forward to be the first to put aside personal feelings for the betterment of Missouri, we will continue to suggest ways to find a resolution.”
Unfortunately, Schroer’s proposal was a tongue-in-cheek way to address the lack of civility in Missouri politics and even the current national political landscape. He alluded to this in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
I know I’m probably in the wrong, but part of me wanted this proposal to be real. After all, with tensions being what they are in America, perhaps a few duels might be just what we need, right? Why not have our elected leaders settle their differences with high-stakes fencing matches or pistols? It might make for some good entertainment while possibly encouraging government officials to temper their rhetoric a bit.
In fact, since we are slightly more civilized than in days past, why not have non-lethal duels? I can’t be the only one who would love to see Sen. John Fetterman participate in a sanctioned boxing match with Sen. Bob Menendez, right? Perhaps the 2024 presidential election could be decided by Donald Trump and Joe Biden bashing each other with blunt swords to see who has what it takes to run our country.
Of course, I’m only jesting. But Schroer’s point about the wild rhetoric in our politics is well taken.
