In late July I decided to run for mayor of the city in which I reside, Arvada, Colorado. The ballot counting was done this past Tuesday and I was not successful in gaining the office.
My quest was probably quixotic from the beginning ... I tend to be principled and hold my personal integrity as a fundamental part of my character. In other words, I never would take contributions from those who would profit from my decisions, make promises I couldn't keep, sink to a low level of discourse on issues, or treat potential voters like this was a contest for high school prom royalty.
Though I am certainly more cynical about politics and government than I used to be, I retain a germ of idealism and a sense of civic responsibility that told me that no one should go unchallenged for public office, that differing viewpoints need to be articulated, and that (despite the current reality) elections shouldn't be little more than auctions.
My little bits of idealism defined above are my notion of 'patriotism' -- concepts about what our country should be still be about, that our politics, government and economy should be about and for us, "the people".
Let me tell you ... this country, my state, my city are in big trouble. Whether or not you agree with some of the broad, general opinions emanating from the "Occupy Wall Street" movement, the expression of the 99% of us being held hostage to the political and economic power of the 1% is absolutely true.
However you wish to define it, narrowly or radically, it is evident to me that a revolution is overdue in this nation, indeed around the world.
Coming off a local election where I was outspent by a representative of the 1% by probably close to 40-to-1, I found this segment of the Dylan Ratigan program on MSNBC yesterday informative of the extent of the problem.
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