With municipal elections fast approaching in Ontario, I recall a melancholy lesson in social behavior. It starts innocently enough; the issues of the day have a light shone on them, idealistic citizens opine on their views, and a select few step forward in hopes of attaining a leadership role to affect the changes they feel will benefit all. Alignment starts to appear, as well as a public engagement. Seems all pretty good so far?
Enter the darker side of this. Over many years, particularly in my own civic involvement, I’ve seen the fractures that inevitably appear in a community. Generally speaking, a hopeful leader has two options: lead with a clear and defined position of vision and progress, or descend into attacking the current state of affairs, prior leaders, and declaring an “us versus them” platform.
I write this while remembering a specific scenario years ago. There was a municipal election candidate who started very well by working with many community volunteer initiatives, grew relationships, and performed charitable tasks. Many new friends were made, and the community was quickly achieving a vibrancy and inclusiveness that truly benefited everyone. It all turned soured when it came time to campaign; the focus moved to strictly defeating the competition. Strangely, despite a strong platform of inclusion, the hopeful candidate shifted gears and aligned with the proverbial “angry vote”. Instantly there was significant discourse, neighbors became sworn enemies, people were broken down publicly and in private messages, and it was bad enough that you truly had to worry about running into certain people while out for a walk. Above all other tasks in a municipal setting, adding to division is the worst possible outcome.
In an interview I read recently, the author stated the following: “A hammer is a hammer. It can be used to build something, or to destroy it”. My takeaway from that is that it applies equally to a platform, the internet, a social clique, and so on. Do you want to foster opposition, or do you want to build on great ideas?
As a lifelong music fan, I cherish discovering a lyric that succinctly captures a thought or feeling I relate to. In one particular passage from the song “Bravado” By Rush, the late Neil Peart writes “If the dream is won, though everything is lost, we will pay the price, but we will not count the cost”.
My parting thought is this: We ALL have value as a human. If you see something new to you, differing views to your own, if you want to share your own visions, simply start with a solid foundation of acceptance of others. Keep in mind, our Charter is built on inclusion, our freedom is based on acceptance, and more often than not, conversations lead to new friendships. Even if they have the wrong candidate’s sign on their lawn 😉
