As the NOV midterm elections come up, particularly here in California, our options (with few exceptions) seem to be between “bad & worse.” We have been robbed by so many career politicians for so long that we might not know a real leader if we saw one. This is how sad our elected representatives are. I urge everyone, across the nation, to overlook the party affiliation of those who are running and ask yourself: is the person I’m voting for going to SERVE the people? That the 2-party election system is destroying elections is beyond argument, but that’s another discussion. It’s a sad country where you have to be labeled democrat or republican to stand any real chance of being elected to a major office. The movie “Dumb & Dumber” comes to mind.
The photo of Mother Theresa reminds me how absolutely foreign the idea of “servant leadership” has become to most of our elected officials. These career politicians are so far from our founders’ idea of “citizen statesmen” that it’s frightening. The original plan was for a farmer/shopkeeper/soldier to serve in the legislature for a few years, and then go back to his “real job.” My, my, my…how we’ve perverted this concept.
Until we demand that our elected officials faithfully serve those who they represent (oh yeah…this would NOT include those of other countries, terrorists & the U.N.), then we deserve every bad thing that could happen to us. We (that includes yours truly) have earned our present woeful situation by depending on others to “take care of business” at the state and federal level. It’s just now dawning on many of us what a disaster our apathy has caused. We are the laughing-stock of the world – well on our way to becoming a 3rd-rate banana republic.
Have you seen the movie “Defiance” with Daniel Craig? As I watched this recently it dawned on me that this is where our nation is headed. All it takes is for many of us to turn away and say “someone else will fix things.” We have only 2 choices, really: (1) fix our corrupt, broken govt. or (2) move to another country. If you choose #1, then you’re in for a rough ride. What did Morpheous tell NEO….”Nobody said it would be easy.”
Wayne,
I chose (2) move to another country—but not because of “our corrupt, broken government.” I moved from Minnesota to Mexico for the weather, for the color and texture of the neighborhoods here, and for the adventure of learning a new language and culture.
It was only after a full year of living here and becoming aware of what administrative corruption means and how it affects ordinary people (many stories to tell!) that I started looking at my own government-of-origin—in fact, the government I worked for in the ’80s, as a staffer in the office of a U.S. Senator and then a Congressman. I’ve come to realize, as a “distant neighbor” (ref. Alan Riding’s book about Mexico-U.S. relations) that I’ve moved from one irrefutably corrupt country to another; that money always, always talks; that racial and gender discrimination is alive and kicking on both sides of the Rio Grande; and that our best hope is, as you say, to participate in creating solutions.
In my little town in the center of Mexico, I’ve joined a committee of Mexicans and ex-pats who are working with the chief of police to enhance the safety and security of our neighborhoods. We are working on everything from scheduling bilingual operators to answer the local emergency phone number (“911″ is “066″ here), to ensuring the integrity of banks that operate the ATMs that regularly pilfer funds from tourists’ debit cards, to setting up Vecinos Vigilantes (Neighborhood Watch) groups throughout the city.
I also personally made it my mission to get to know the mayor, the police chief, and the owners of the local newspaper, radio station and TV station, and to spend time talking with the folks at the cable and telephone companies to find out why their services are not unbiased and equally available to everyone. I’m still learning, and I don’t know if I can be of help, but I certainly echo your concern about hoping that “someone else will fix things.” Some of the issues are too large and too long-standing for any one of us to address, and too big for even the aggregate voting public to tackle (yes, I do believe that there’s election fraud in the U.S. just as there is in Mexico). But when you take time to listen and to understand how corruption happens, how it grows, and how defenseless even those who are complicit can feel (hey, as voters, aren’t we all aiders and abetters, especially if we DON’T vote???)—when you take time to understand how one bad decision can lead to another, you start making better decisions yourself, and you start to influence other people.
As I write this, it is 10pm Central time in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. I just returned from a walk with my dog. My long, blonde hair attracts attention in this place, so I’m never surprised when cars pull over and someone says, “Oye, güerra!” But tonight two police vehicles turned on their colored lights and pulled over just as my puppy was doing his business. Everyone got out. There was an officer I recognized; I’d interviewed him a few months ago for a story I wrote for a local magazine. He was all smiles. He introduced me to the chief’s deputy, who’d been driving the second vehicle.
The deputy said, in Spanish, that he’d heard a “gringa” was involved in the Municipal Security Committee, reporting to his boss (the police chief) and that he’d seen me on the street walking my dog, and called the officer who knew me on the radio. He said he just wanted to stop and say thank you, and that he will see me Wednesday at our meeting with the chief. I nearly burst into tears!
Who knows if he, or the newly-appointed chief for that matter, are part of the corruption that has seeped into our little town’s police department, or if they are truly dedicated to eradicating it, as they both claim. I will find out because I’m getting involved. (Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?)
There’s a point here: we all participate in our government, whether we like it or not. We pay (or avoid paying) taxes. We vote (or abstain from voting) for our administrators (sorry, I refuse to call most of them “leaders”). And if we expect “servant leadership” then we must understand one thing: WE MUST BE SERVANTS FIRST. For how can any one of us expect any more from our elected officials than we ourselves will give?
Next time my friends in the U.S. express their concern that I might be just a tad TOO involved (“You’re reporting about CRIME, Anne? In MEXICO?”), I will borrow, if I may, your Matrix reference. I may have moved here for the sunshine and the salsa, but I’m not on vacation. I live here, and “nobody said it would be easy.”
Anne – thanks so much for our fabulous input. The part about really being involved in politics (not just opinionated) is so true – much to my shame. I really struggle with how our national leaders (& I use the word very loosely!) just have no clue about SERVING their constituents. I wish you well in Mexico – and stay safe!
The challenge I think is people don’t believe that they can make a difference, this includes voting and making their own decisions. Or they here a portion of the reports from the news media and get confused.
I would challenge you to be a servant and tell us the truth about what is going on..
Thanks, Mari-Lyn! I think part of the problem is that the main-stream media outlets provide so little “news” at all. We’ve become (much to our harm) used to accepting the drivel that the main news outlets provide. It absolutely horrifies me that anyone would believe ANYTHING presented on the major news outlets.
As to the elections themselves, I firmly believe that the 2-party system has done us much harm: they write the voting/campaign laws – to protect themselves and make it very difficult for any other parties and candidates to make it. Without a massive change in our current congressional/senate membership, our country is doomed. Their level of corruption and greed has reached new heights. Without a lot of new blood there (& I don’t mean new republicans & new democrats) we will self-destruct. The only question is: when?