Looking for a Leader

Illustration by Ryan Miller.

Enough.

Friends against friends? Neighbors against neighbors?

Stand with Walker. Recall Walker.

Watch TV, read a paper, listen to the radio and you will see, hear and read how one politician or one political party is doing everything right while the other is doing everything wrong.

What is the purpose of our government?

According to Wisconsin’s constitution: deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, government is secured to ensure that all people are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights; among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Sounds pretty simple. Rather straight forward. Something that we all could get behind.

Our politicians, rather than find those things that we all believe in, find issues that divide us. Democrats line up on one side and the Republicans on the other. As constituents we sit in the stands and scream/vote for one side or the other. Kinda like a Packers, Bears game – we cheer or jeer if our judges/referees blow the whistle on those that break our self-imposed rules and we fight in the stands when our “team” wins or loses.

Does anyone really win in this kind of a game? Does fighting with one another make us better? Make us stronger or more secure that we remain free? Or, for that matter, help us better our lives and pursue happiness?

What is best for all of us is to find a way to build consensus, to solve problems together, listen to the needs of both sides and find a solution that works for all. Yes, it is idealistic. Yes, it is difficult to do. Yes, it would take work and yes, it would be unprecedented. So what? What we have is broken. Our state is in desperate need of an attitude adjustment. We are not talking to each other and we have to.

We can demand better government. We can demand that our government build bridges. We can demand that our government officials work together and solve problems and not make crisis.

We do not have to accept the game that our politicians play. We can demand that they figure out solutions. They all work for all of us.

No matter who wins this next election, can we all ask the winner to work with those that voted against him? Can we ask our politicians to win us all over?

Good luck Walker. Good luck Barrett. Whichever of you wins the election – make something of it. Do something great. Find a way to talk to not just 51 or 55 percent of the people but to 75 or 85 percent of the people of Wisconsin.

Lead us forward.

Bring us together.