Yesterday was election day. I lost. I accepted it as part of Democracy. We can't lose if we don't run. I did not have any tears until this moment. I have copied Justin Young's Facebook post.
Thank you for those words.
Thank you for those words.
Yesterday was election
day and the majority of comments in my feed were of disappointment,
disillusionment ("Well, I voted for the lesser of two evils..."), or
moral ambiguity ("Doesn't matter who we vote for!"). While I can't
argue how you might feel personally, I can argue that you're wrong.
Lou Ann Homan is a coworker, a teacher, a storyteller, a
newspaper columnist, and a friend. Yesterday she lost her election. That's
fair--democracy worked. Her opponent, who I do not know, may very well be a
wonderful person. I can't say. But I can say she is a wonderful, giving, and
caring human being. She loves her town and would have served it admirably. She
has already--serving on a variety of committees and organizing the recent
singing on the circle event. She brings the arts to a small town that isn't
always sure that it wants them. She is not a lesser of two evils. She is not
the same as anyone else we could put into office.
People default to that talk not because it is intellectual or
insightful, but because it is easy. It's a surrender in the face of a
complicated world filled with conflicting shades of gray. Each spring I spend a
semester ranting to my students about the dangers of how the media manipulates
us through things like agenda setting, framing, etc. But the last day of class
I warn them not to allow any of that to make them cynical. Cynicism is the
intellectualism of stupid people. No curiosity--just disillusionment.
The world is not changed by the cynics who
have given up, but by good people who refuse to.
1 comment:
I know that Justin knows you way better than I do. But even in my limited contact and conversations with you... I know his words to be true. I also know it's so hard to not be jaded at times, but as long as there are people like you and Justin as well, there's hope for all of us. It reminds me of something that has stuck with me said my Kasey Kasom... "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars".
Post a Comment