OPINION
Still wondering how to vote?
If you’re like me, you’re truly disturbed by all the vitriol around here lately and how it’s beginning to infiltrate real life in our little town.
I challenge you to think about each candidate, one by one. Of those running, which ones have served our community on boards and committees or in churches and clubs? Who’s out volunteering around town? I’m not just talking about a one-time event like tornado cleanup. Which candidates have done these things all along, quietly and behind the scenes, even before they signed up to run for a seat on council?
Which candidates are kind to others? Which candidates stick to the issues without creating drama and division? Which ones consistently show respect to people who disagree with them, without attacking or negating alternate perspectives?
Now, which candidates disparage others on social media? Which ones engage most heavily in the vitriolic discourse on Idle Chatter? Which ones seem to overlook their own faults while pointing the finger at everyone else? Which ones tear down rather than build up?
Most important, which candidates have engaged in bullying? Who has joined in on the mob-mentality, cruelty and dehumanizing of good people in this town?
Search any one of the candidates’ names on Idle Chatter and look at the things they’ve said—not just lately, but over the past year. Look deep into the comments because that’s where our true selves are exposed.
How do these candidates interact with others? What kinds of things do they say about people they’ve never met?
Keep in mind that the ability to work well with others is perhaps the most important characteristic of any council member because it requires humility, respect, integrity and self-reflection.
What type of person do you want sitting in a position of leadership within Pilot Point? Do your research, choose your candidates accordingly, then honor them with your vote.
Amy Lanier Pilot Point
