No, I really don't want to seek public office or serve as an elected official, for many reasons. First, it's a rich person's game and I'm not wealthy, nor would I waste money pandering to the electorate if I were. Second, I'm too thin skinned to take the criticism and rejection. I would be exploding with anger or bursting into tears at every turn. But most of all, I'm too much of a control freak. I would handle elected office like I handled parenting. "You will do as I say or else!" Don't think that would work too well in the legislature.
What I do want are a few simple things -- expectations that I don't think should be too difficult to fulfill.
First, I want my elected officials to be non-partisan. The needs of the nation and the people should come before any special interest or political affiliation. Unfortunately, our current crop of GOP senators, representatives, governors and state officials have made it clear that the future of their political party comes before the future of this country. Or, as noted in a recent blockbuster movie, they believe the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many. What they fail to realize is that if they continue with this line of thought, there will be no country left for the GOP to rule.
Next, I want these people to be open to all ideas, suggestions and possibilities. Typically, a special interest group or wealthy contributor gets in their ears, planting a singularly narrow idea that our politicians latch onto like a terrier with a bone. They should be open and willing to listen to ALL of their constituents, not just the ones with the most money or the biggest mouths.
Neither do I want them to fall so in love with their own ideas and voices that they hear nothing else (are you listening, John Boehner?). Too often, they spout rhetoric that is little more than meaningless blather. They no longer understand what they are supporting. They have said it for so long that it has to be true, right? Wrong! As an elected official, it is your duty to question and find out all information before throwing your support behind any issue.
And, I expect you to be intelligent enough to understand that a different point of view is not automatically wrong. It is simply another way of looking at something, and it is another opportunity to learn. That is why America is what it is -- a wonderfully diverse nation. To ignore that and to refuse to learn from it is, well it's just unAmerican. To dismiss another's opinion as wrong closes you off to understanding that person and what guides their beliefs. When you accept the challenges of opening yourself to at least hear what others believe, you expand yourself, your mind, your whole being. Refusing to acknowledge the opinions of others cloaks you in ignorance and limits your intelligence.
Finally, I want you to stay out of my bedroom, my doctor's office, my religion, my schools and libraries, my marriage and my family. Your job is to ensure that I have these things available to me but not what happens with them. You establish the basic framework by which our schools and medical services operate. You guarantee that all Americans have access to basic services and civil rights. When you begin dictating rules and regulations about personal aspects of my life, you have crossed into fascism. And the last time I looked, America was supposed to be a democracy.
We have a voice in America through our vote. (We put you in that office and we can take you out, to paraphrase the great Dr. Bill Cosby.) Once elected, however, you still need to listen to all of us. Becoming an elected official does not entitle you to set your own agenda, tie yourself to special interests, or pander to an elite group of supporters.
Americans want and need public servants, not politicians. You must decide which you want to be.
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