Dear Editor,
In the comment sections of a recent letter online, a party challenged me to run for city council.
It read: “R.A. Hoegler thinks he knows best. He thinks that a group of enraged citizens knows best. If he knows best, why isn’t he on council? Certainly all of Richmond could benefit from his enlightened knowledge of what’s best for Richmond? Why wasn’t his name on the ballot last November? Perhaps it’s because it’s easy to snipe from the sidelines,……”
While the threat…err “thought” to run for council is tempting (if nothing else than to create dread and loathing at city hall), this party unfortunately represents the ill- informed opinions of many who feel the current electoral-democratic process is the magic wand for “hope and change.”
The electoral system should work for the citizens “in theory,” but has become so co-opted it has become nothing more than an illusory false-hope.
The corrupting of the aforementioned democratic process is noted, even as far back as in ancient Roman times.
If I did run for council and get elected, I would have to tolerate a lot of mindless drivel and patronizing comments on motherhood issues by most of council, as well as the usual council bully abusing their chair powers to silence anyone with whom they personally disagree.
It is far more constructive, if not moreso critical, to encourage and nurture the growth at the grassroots level, rather than fight the deadwood historically in place, as our alleged representatives.
A critical mass of informed and engaged grassroots is historically the most potent force to be reckoned with, regardless of who is ”elected.”
This long overdue objective is undeniably being achieved.
Knee-jerk comments such as “Why don’t YOU run for council?” is a combination of Internet trolling and how misinformed many citizens are and how they are continually played for fools since ancient Rome, while all around them continually collapses.
R.A.Hoegler
Richmond
