A pause and a peace
The pendulum swing of the two party system is not serving us well. Our Democracy seems dysfunctional at best, but appears more toxic and broken than anything. The people benefitting most from this two party system are perhaps are those two parties themselves, as we are made to feel desperate and alarmist about the “other” party gaining ground. No third or fourth or fifth party can even make headway, we are so desperate. Few people even want to be part of any sort of government right now, especially local government, which is perhaps the best and most effective way and place to ensure that our voices our heard. The words of Abraham Lincoln ring in collective minds and hearts “…so that government OF the people, BY the people and FOR the people shall not perish from this earth.” It seems like we are on a path to that, if we don’t get our act together. We are exhausted.
I feel sheepish and apologetic when I talk to young people these days; as my son and his friends approach the first election they will get to vote in. Apologetic because we are ruining this for them. We are making enemies of the other side, we are dismissing civil discourse, we are filling them with dread and fear and anxiety because Democracy does not look noble to them. It looks like a playground football game, where the winners gloat and the losers scream “cheaters!” We have been reduced to petulant children in this endeavor. And it does NOT honor those who have gone before us and fought and died for Democracy, and it does not honor our parents and grandparents, who sometimes watched their candidates win or lose, but the next day, always pushed up their sleeves, got back in the game, and worked to make the best lives they could. We were humans above all, before we were Democrats or Republicans.
And so, the reason I am running for mayor. The position of mayor is non-partisan. When done effectively, if you ask the citizens of a city, they may not even know what political affiliation their mayor aligns with! I think of it this way; as parents, we create our home spaces so that ourselves, our children, our families and guests can feel safe and welcome, no matter what the day in the outside world may bring. At home, we can rest, and think and be ready to face another day. As a mayor, or other elected city officials, the responsibility is the same. We do not adhere to what the political game of the day is (which is usually all sorts of spiteful). We are in these positions to make sure that ALL our citizens all feel like they can contribute, like they have a voice and a place, like they are valued. Does our current environment feel that way to you?
We desperately need a pause and a peace to bring us back to who we are, why our country is great, and why we are so much better together. I am committed to that.
