Let’s start off by being fair: constituent town halls were part of the political landscape in this part of the First District several decades ago, but they disappeared in recent years. That said, today some residents are calling for them to resume.

However, in this contentious political climate, if you’re a member of Congress considering holding a town hall meeting, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

If you do hold it, you’re likely to get pummeled by angry constituents on both sides of the political aisle. Rep. Joe Wilson, who famously yelled “You lie!” at former President Barack Obama during the State of the Union address, had those words thrown right back in his face at a raucous South Carolina town hall. Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake endured a stream of angry comments on everything from Obamacare to Planned Parenthood and his vote to confirm Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Oklahoma Rep. Markwayne Mullin, losing his temper followi...