One of my favorite places to visit in London is the House of
Commons, part of the 700-year-old British Parliament. Here members in green
leather benches debate in a raucous fashion that is both remarkable for its
tradition and inspiring for its passion.
Parliament was last shut down due to plague in 1349. But
what was old is new.
When the House of Common reopened its doors Tuesday, the
gold ceremonial mace was in place. The speaker was in his canopied chair. But
screens dotting the room were prepared to link up to 120 lawmakers via Zoom.
According to tradition, the original debating chamber was
designed with a social distancing of sorts—the opposing benches were two
swords’ lengths apart to avoid lawmakers dueling. That design was preserved
when the building was rebuilt after World War II.
Now the members will have to duel virtually.
“I am not sure how we are going to make those
impassioned speeches into a television screen,” said one lawmaker. They
won’t be able to chant “hear, hear” in agreement with others. Alcohol
will not be served in Parliament’s numerous bars and restaurants, which seems
to be the first time that has happened since 1653.
Lawmakers are nonetheless expected to dress in suits or formal wear when appearing on Zoom. “It is really important that old democracies like ours continue to set an example,” as one explained.
Making changes to preserve what must not change
The coronavirus pandemic has forced changes everywhere we
look.
I’ve been working from home for weeks now. I’ll be teaching
a Bible study later today via Zoom, talking over PowerPoint slides that I hope
those in the study are able to follow on their devices. I was on a conference
call yesterday with leaders of the healthcare system I serve as an ethicist,
listening as they discussed innovations…
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