I really liked this article by Shauna Rae in the London Free Press (she was at one time, a radi talk show host):
Rae: Politicians owe us transparency
Could it be something as simple as trust?
With the city abuzz lately with talk of the next municipal election, and an exceptional amount of plotting already on the horizon, I wonder what it will take.
I, along with many people more thoughtful and clever than I, have been wracking our brains for a long time, trying to come up with the solution to the political apathy in this country. (It’s not just a city or provincial issue; it’s nationwide.) Like a lot of folks brought up in my generation, I was taught that if you didn’t vote, you couldn’t complain about your frustration, unhappiness and maybe disdain for the government of the day.
I was taught to appreciate the fact that I even had the right to vote.
I can talk about the fact that people have fought and died for our right to vote as a democratic society until I’m blue in the face. I’d just be adding my voice to countless others who have tried to convince you voting is important and a distinct honour many don’t have.
So why don’t you vote? Yes, I’m talking to you, the person who desperately wants to be engaged in your community but who thinks that your voice doesn’t matter or that the people who are politically engaged are doing so strictly for underhanded and self-serving reasons. Am I right?
Who could blame you, really? How did we get here? I find myself distrusting politicians, even people I thought I could respect and count on.
I’ve never publicly said it before now, but there were times when I was a radio talk show host interviewing some politicians when I felt like I needed shower afterwards, to wash away the remnants of the bald-faced lying I had just facilitated.
As Oliver Hardy would say to Stan Laurel, “That’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into.” We’ve given politicians too much power, which in turn, makes us feel powerless. We’ve raised politicos up to the status of untouchable, hence when they are accused of heinous wrongdoing, they are steadfast and unafraid. The spin doctoring used to work, but we’re getting too wise for that now.
With the dawn of new ways to communicate, everyone is a reporter. It is becoming increasingly difficult to hide anything.
And how about all the fighting between parties? Obviously that’s not new, but I know I’m not the only one who is nauseated and turned off by each representative criticizing the others for their lack but themselves pretty short on their own plan for change.
Stop. The. Finger-pointing.
So we back off and decide to not to vote to show our displeasure.
Yeah, how’s that working out?
But for those who are politically inclined, I have a challenge for you. How about telling us upfront who you are? I don’t mean how upstanding you are in the community, and how engaged in the party or platform, but how about telling us when you failed and when you struggled and maybe that you got fined as a teenager? How about being relatable and imperfect like the rest of us?
Think about the shift in advertising and marketing lately. It’s less about the product and more about being human, building trust, telling a story and making people feel emotionally engaged. No one is buying the trickery anymore. We’ve been spammed enough.
A video by the U.S. restaurant chain Chipotle is an animated short, just under 3½ minutes long, and no words are spoken. The haunting theme music — you may recognize from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory — is the only backdrop to the animation. And only near the end do you see any mention of the company’s name. It is exceptionally powerful. It screams integrity.
So how about it, potential candidates? How about pulling the curtain back and letting us know you are indeed flawed and it’s not just about your political leanings but about being a human being in an increasingly disconnected world?
Who’s up for the challenge? If you are, you’ve got my vote.
Shauna Rae is a London freelance writer. E-mail shauna_rae67@yahoo.ca
