Recently, I was invited to an event to meet one of the candidates to become the first mayor of Fishers.
The invitation came from someone I really respect, so I decided to check my calendar and give it serious consideration. (Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it.)
Moments after delivering my regrets, the following questions raced through my head:
Who is this guy?
Aren’t there 10 people now running for mayor? Isn’t there a limit?
How in the world am I supposed to make a decision?
Does it really matter who gets elected?
Don’t judge me – you would ask the same questions.
Unfortunately, my (and your) indifference is a big problem.
Our society is built upon the fundamental concept that we the people rule ourselves. In other words, the collective judgment of an entire community is far more important than a handful of individuals.
Unfortunately, in Fishers, and just about every community in America, a handful of informed individuals are making all of the decisions. The reason is that the “judgment” of the community is based upon an electorate that pays attention – which we don’t.
We listen to sound bites and allow ourselves to get emotionally attached to certain issues and people, but rarely do we take the time to educate ourselves properly before we enter the voting booth.
If you don’t believe this assertion, ask yourself the following questions:
What are the 3 most important issues to you? Why?
Where do the current office holders in your community stand on these issues?
Where does the opposition stand?
Now, assuming like me, you didn’t love your answers, I’ve got a challenge for us all to consider.
Take the time to develop a meaningful answer to these questions as it relates to the upcoming mayoral race in Fishers.
This isn’t a massive undertaking.
Review their websites, ask a few questions and develop an informed opinion.
As with most things in life, the solution is simple. You just need to execute.