Nobody likes getting yelled at. Can you blame Sen. Dick Durbin and others who have shied away from town hall meetings on health care reform?

"Yes, we can" - to borrow a phrase from last year's presidential campaign.

Yes, we can blame Durbin for ducking out on public meetings because - as contentious as they might be - remaining accessible to the public is part of his job. If he doesn't like it, he shouldn't have run for re-election.

Yes, we can blame House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who wrote in a guest column for USA Today that "drowning out opposing views is simply un-American."

The name-calling and shouting might not be constructive, but loudly protesting and stating one's views is very American - and has been since the formation of this nation.

Those using catcalls and outbursts aren't winning converts to their cause. They are just deepening the split that is preventing reasonable discussion addressing the problem of millions of Americans without health insurance or buried in debt because of the high cost of medical care and insurance.

Yet, while we don't support their tactics, we do defend their right to use them.

Explaining his reasons for not participating in such meetings, Durbin said, "The people who are showing up at these town meetings are not looking for dialogue. They're looking for diatribe. I don't think that's a productive use of my time."

But meeting with constituents - even angry constituents - is a productive use of an elected officials' time.

It's arrogant not to meet the public in other than highly controlled events. It increases the risk of being out of touch with constituents - if Durbin and others aren't losing touch already.

U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, a Southern Illinois Republican, also is avoiding town hall meetings.

At least U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., is continuing to have town hall sessions, even though he told one protester, "Ma'am trying to have a conversation with you wouldb e like trying to argue with a dining room table."

We haven't heard of first-term U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson, a Democrat representing part of the Pantagraph area, having town hall meetings, either. But maybe she just isn't having them in this part of her district.

We commend U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson, a Republican from Champaign, for meeting with some larger-than-usual crowds in Normal, Pontiac and elsewhere, handling the sometimes boisterous participants with a calm demeanor.

Both sides should tone down the rhetoric.

But senators and representatives shouldn't use the noisy crowds as an excuse for ducking the public.

Can they take the heat? Yes, they can.