| 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. |