The question first presented by Simon and Garfunkel came to mind recently as I was reflecting on the issues facing our community, state and nation and the inability of our elected officials to work together toward a common goal. It seems politics today has gotten personal and perhaps spiteful. It has prevented, for the most part, our elected officials from doing an effective job for us all.
Decades ago, representatives from both parties would have differences of opinion which they would eloquently state in public; but in the end, they showed leadership and worked together to find solutions to the problems presented. Today, at all levels of government, there is more rhetoric, posturing and accusing among our elected officials, which has only resulted in no resolution, or even the hope of any resolution, on the most pressing issues facing us in the last 50 years. Where have the leaders gone?
True, the political climate today is much different than decades ago. The cost of running for office and staying in office once elected is enormous. There is just too much money involved in the election process. I hope that there are leaders out there who will make the finding of solutions to our current issues a priority, regardless of political implications or re-election impact. A true leader does not have to worry about being re-elected.
Until such time we can only ask, “where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?”
I too often wonder about our country’s leadership. I am missing Joe DiMaggio, as much as, I am missing the feeling that their grown-ups in charge. I find my concern focusing how the behavior of leadership has changed. I often think I would not accept this response from my children, when listening to representatives speak. From my perspective it seems like being a leader has become defined by winning or even getting even. It should be more than that, it should include responsibility and working toward goal bigger than self.
I understanding wanting to win, I am terribly competitive, but aren’t these leaders also supposed to be public servants, working toward the greater good. Where has that mentality or belief system gone. I don’t like it when I don’t have the best idea or have to change a plan to get by in from those I need to work with, but that is about me not the goal. My concern is, it is always about the person not the goal. I want to believe that our representatives want to serve more than themselves and that is about a great good. But I agree, it seems that our representatives are heading in the opposite of the direction. The fact that voters seem to support the behavior on both sides is compounding the problem.
The idea of getting even or it is ok because the other side did this first, is the rational that drives me nuts. As we have all heard, two wrongs don’t make a right. At some point our representatives need to be leaders and say “I am going to stop retaliating” and make a choice or compromise that is in the best interest of the country. Ideally this will be done with civility, fairness, and comprise but it will definitely leadership and courage because it is not the norm. Additionally, it will take leadership and courage for the other side to join in. I believe it will happen, hopefully it will happen soon. I believe that when it does it will start to create a Bridge Over the Trouble Waters, that our country needs. Thank you for the Simon and Garfunkel reference, some how they always seem to make a day a little better.