Many of you have been telling me of your disgust for electoral politics. Lately your disgust seems to have turned to real contempt and consequently you have been disengaging from the process. A quick look at voter turnout over the last couple of decades is proof of that. A starting question in our reassessment can be why we don’t get our proper respect as voters by those we elect to represent us?
In the last mayoral primary, all the predominantly African-American wards (except the 6th Ward) went for Lewis Reed by margins of 2 to 1 or 3 to 1. In the 21st Ward, it was a whopping 4 to 1 ratio.
So why didn’t black alderpeople follow the wishes of their constituents and publicly endorse Reed? That’s the question voters must ask their respective alderperson. This kind of disconnect between voters and alderperson is not tolerated in the predominantly white city wards.
In the 22nd Ward, Alderman Jeff Boyd has openly endorsed Mayor Francis G. Slay in all three of his reelections even though he beat his 2004 aldermanic opponent over the head for doing the very same thing. In the 22nd Ward, the anti-Slay sentiment runs deep and wide. Its voters have given the majority of their votes to whoever was Slay’s opponent.
Allow me to think out loud here as I ponder some possible solutions to our non-responsive, self-serving, incompetent reps.
I have always been fiercely against term limits. I’m starting to warm up to the idea for a couple of reasons. One is that the longer most politicians stay in office, the less we seem to get from them. Two is that it takes too long to boot them out once they stop being public servants and start treating us like we’re their servants. Even if we find out quickly they don’t cut the mustard, we have to still endure them until their terms ends.
Voters must be more critical and demanding of our elected officials before the election and during their terms of office. The community needs to be grooming future officeholders who have a track record of service to the community, who have integrity, who are accountable and who will be transparent in their actions.
It’s no different on the national scene. Nearly two-thirds of Americans support a pathway to citizenship for immigrants. This view abounds despite the intentional labeling of human beings as “illegal” to dehumanize and criminalize immigrants, especially those coming from Mexico.
The majority of Americans now support same sex marriage. The public view has consolidating faster than any other issue in the culture wars. Still, too many of our elected officials continue to use their office to discriminate against gay citizens.
Most in this country oppose the overthrow of Roe v Wade, yet the GOP has consistently attacked the constitutional amendment with legislations that erodes the fundamentals. Extremists have bombed abortion clinics and even murdered doctors who performed the procedure – all to minimize the availability of safe and accessible abortions.
In the gun control debate, Americans have decisively weighed in: 90 percent favor universal background checks. About 75 percent of the National Rifle Association members favor it, illuminating the fact that organization leadership can also be out of step with their own folks.
People in power respect money and an organized base. When you don’t have much money, your actions much be strategic and hard-hitting. Right about now, a lot of people are hatin’ the players as well as the game. Let’s change the players and the game.
