Down The Sewer Pipe – Politically Speaking

After taking office, and for some years afterward, people elected to public office seem to only want to represent their views and interests, an other people that share those views. Representation is a bit more than that. Because when you represent your district, or ward, you by proxy represent people that oppose you as well.

You need to fairly, and evenly, seek the best for all the people that you represent as opposed to ignoring people that didn’t vote for you. Representation then is the difference is doing whatever you want, and doing what is best for the people in that area of the globe that you represent.

All too often the charge is levied “once in office they do whatever they want at the detriment of everyone but their friends”, because that is exactly what happens. Which means that the office holder is ignoring people in their own district that they do not like, while placing their own interests above everyone else’s. When this happens the office holder does not represent everyone in their district, and cannot represent everyone equally.

The challenge in representation is to not allow the few to rule roughshod over the many, or the many to rule roughshod over the few. The need in any legislation is to locate the common ground of what everyone needs. Does everyone need protection from bad people? Then why assist bad people by defunding the police? Does everyone need communication? Then why use legislative power to deny others the Bacics of communication devices.

In a lot of ways the best method of representation is to ask the questions, “who benefits the most, and who benefits the least. I the legislation, or idea does not benefit everyone equally then why even consider that legislation at all.

Remember you hold office because you received more votes than someone else. Not because you are the last best hope for humanity.