A Purely Personal Perspective

by Michelle Ryan

Former candidate gets candid

On April 28th, the Southtown- Star’s political editor, Kristen Mc- Queary, was a guest speaker at the Blue Island Public Library. One of Ms. McQueary’s opening statements was a gracious reminder that those who attended, and those who took an active part in the election (i.e. whether running for offi ce or participating in the process), showed that they cared about their communities.

At some point, a mud-ball was slung within the audience. Another one followed. Several other mud-balls went back and forth across the room. The seating arrangement was such that one side of the audience was barricaded from the other, so you couldn’t see who all was there, or who threw what. I wondered if it was done on purpose to protect the audience from getting hit by any mud. Ms. McQueary had to intervene at one point with a timeout hand gesture.

Ms. McQueary’s opening statement about caring about your community struck a chord. I never had any burning desire to be a political candidate. I was merely a homebody, minding my own business when something painfully ridiculous would happen. I saw the protocol firsthand when a pack of wild dogs ruled a summer, resulting in tragedy. Next came a pack of uncontrolled kids that ruled the street. Something needed to be done to prevent a tragedy.

There was an opportunity to run as a village trustee with the Integrity Party, with a new mayoral candidate. His stand on issues was similar to mine, so I figured I should go for it. I had a few major issues that needed to be straightened out. Plus, I had 3 good programs in mind that could benefit the community.

The best part of the campaign for me was when the Integrity Party was a secret. Once we came out of the closet and everyone knew, it was never the same. Some people who were initially supportive of me, acted like I had suddenly grown fangs, and stayed away from me. This was aggravating because I was willing to step up to the plate, and make some changes. I wondered if people really wanted change, or were they more content as chronic complainers?

The whole political process reminded me of ships set off to sea. The incumbents have the brightest, most expensive ship, On every ship there is a captain, crew mates, and passengers who board the ship. There is also a fan base onshore hoping for a safe victorious return, when the voyage officially ends on election day. The ship is expected to navigate through deep, treacherous water, and be able to manage storms, sharks, pirates, and direct hits from the opponent. The ship must be strong enough to endure the perils it may encounter.

Stay tuned as we navigate through some of the political waters, and deal with controversial flyers, attacks on candidates, encounters with pirates, traitors, and surviving a sinking ship.