"In the rural West, where voters have historically been known to vote for
individual people rather than based on blind loyalty to parties,
closing the primary instantly changed the political landscape here."
******
I taught public school for 33 years in my hometown of Sandpoint, Idaho. Students in my classes represented all walks of life, different socioeconomic levels, different religions or not, a variety of small-town cultures and, most certainly, they represented a diversity of political thought.
My responsibility as a public school teacher, where the schools were supported by public funds, was to respect all my students and to educate them through my assigned subject of English and journalism in the best way possible.
One of the greatest benefits of being a public school teacher was the opportunity my career gave me for my own personal growth in opening my mind to appreciate all my students for the individuals they happened to be and to show and encourage respect for their thoughts and opinions.
I did not agree with everything that came out of my students mouths or in their written assignments. Some ideas were very, very different from mine, but still I did my best to see that they felt comfortable expressing themselves in a safe environment.
After all, public funds were supporting our educational system. It was our duty as public school educators to honor the wide range of values and opinions of students who occupied our classrooms every day.
We did not teach to one school of thought; instead, we tried to offer a broad general education that would arm our students to go out and survive in a world much more diverse than what we experienced in Sandpoint, Idaho.
I view the responsibility of elected officials the same way.
They are elected by a broad range of voters. Their salaries come from public funds; their key responsibility is to honor all their constituents' needs, not just those with whom their political ideology coincides.
This is not easy, but it is necessary, as far as I'm concerned.
Moderation has almost always ruled my thinking. I believe that discipline stems from my two careers of teaching and journalism, which both involve the responsibility of looking at and respecting all opinions thrown into the mix.
Based on that same kind of feedback, we expect our public officials to come to the best conclusions and decisions to benefit their constituents in the fairest manner possible.
I think the story in the link above demonstrates that a candidate running for the Idaho state senator position from our district has taken the time to listen and, after doing so, has been open to modifying his own personal stances for the benefit of all constituents.
Tomorrow is an important election.
I believe the race between Jim Woodward and Scott Herndon is the most important contest on our ballot.
It's time to let that pendulum swing back a bit; it certainly does not have to make a 180, but it could swing toward some moderation and common sense in both thoughts and action.
I do not agree with Jim Woodward's opinions on every issue, but I do respect and admire his willingness to get back into politics and fight the good fight and, most importantly, to listen.
I hope he wins tomorrow, and you'll see Luke Omodt's campaign sign in the photo above.
I've known Luke for a long, long time and, to this day, I respect his intelligence, his decency and his mission: to do the best possible for his constituency.
Again, our political views differ on some topics, but I think the overall package he offers as a decent human being, his sense of moderation and his willingness and fierce determination to do the best job possible as a county commissioner makes him my choice.
Just like public school teachers, elected officials are supported by a broad range of constituents. They should honor and respect the general needs of those constituents, rather than a promoting a singular ideology.
Hoping for some sensible results in tomorrow's election.
Make sure you vote.
Happy Monday.
1 comment:
BRAVO!
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