[Winona Online Democracy]
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This article from StarTribune.com
has been sent to you by Craig Brooks. *Please note, the sender's identity has not been verified. The full article, with any associated images and links can be viewed here. Craig Brooks wrote these comments: The need to be active in our democratic process and to vote in our elections is well stated in this article I hope is of interest. Craig Brooks |
| Larry Lavercombe: Why isn't everyone interested in politics? Larry Lavercombe, I was out walking my precinct the other day, delivering fliers for my party's endorsed candidates. A man stood by the front windows outside his house, and I gave him a cheery "hello" as I passed -- adding, with an attempt at humor, that I was "just out doing my do-gooder job for the day!" He noticed the bundle of literature in my hand and said, "Politics?" He spoke with such unmistakable disdain that I could barely muster a light "Yes, indeed!" before moving on to the next house. He went back to comparing hues on his chip-chart to the fading paint on his window trim. Now, I'm a Realtor, so I often find myself consulting with people about the structural and aesthetic issues involved in caring for a home. I know the feelings of security, pride and peace of mind that your home can give yo! u. But as I walked away from my neighbor, whose tone of voice implied that I was foolish or deluded to spend my Sunday afternoon this way, I wondered: Why isn't everyone interested in politics? The way I see it, politics affects everything, from our schools to our taxes to the roads we drive every day. Only the childishly shortsighted or the suicidally depressed would sense no stake in what happens in government. So why would people with enough esteem and hope to consider painting their house find politics unworthy of their time and consideration? Is it flat-out disappointment or disillusionment? Is it just too difficult to have an effect on the world, so why bother? Or is it that so many politicians are corrupt and two-faced and more concerned with their own careers than with the public they serve? Maybe. But there's something deeper here, and I think it has to do with peace of mind. Politics can be ugly, a complex of spin and negativity and the! struggle for power. Peace of mind grows from a sense of calm ! and simp licity in one's life, and a confidence that things are right in the world. So the benefits of eschewing politics are obvious: Your life will be more positive, less complicated. Plus you won't have to give away any hard-earned money to causes that might not come to fruition, and you can spend time on things more connected to your everyday life. If at some later date, a relative is killed in a war, or your job goes overseas, or our mammoth deficit makes it impossible to get a student loan -- maybe you'll believe that it was all meant to be, and there was no way to have made a difference, anyway. But I don't think it works that way. There's a hurricane out there, and if we don't fortify our homes, it won't matter what color they're painted. The fact that politics has failed us makes it more important, not less, to be involved. And I don't think you can convince me that it isn't worth it to work for positive change. Politicians will often! let you down. But I also know of a few candidates in tough Minnesota races right now to whom I would trust my children, my money or my home. People who care deeply about justice and righteousness, who would happily engage you in a discussion about literature or home improvement if only they had time to quit trying to make the world a better place. That job, in their opinion, is the most important one today, and so they're running for office, hoping to serve the people, to serve justice, sometimes to serve God. When I think back about my neighbor, I'm confident that many of the same impulses drive our day-to-day activities. We both have a desire for peace of mind, for a happy life. The difference may be that while he can't bear all the mudslinging and power-grubbing, I can't bear the awful consequences of bad government. Larry LaVercombe, Minneapolis, is a real estate agent and a writer. |
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