Low in the leather Zion, the best that's ever came
The game changes like, my mind just ain't right
We 'gwan get this dough, I guess it ain't your night"
-Jay-Z, "Politics As Usual"
This is my latest letter to the editor. It concerns the race for the 2nd Suffolk State Senator District here in Massachusetts. The two opponents are incumbent, Dianne Wilkerson, and challenger, Sonia Chang-Diaz. You can do the knowledge to get the background details, but basically Wilkerson has served for eight terms, yet Chang-Diaz won the Democratic primary in September by just over 200 votes.
As a young boy, two of the most important lessons I learned from my family
were of the importance of respecting your elders and of the value in the
power of example. I have a great deal of respect for Dianne Wilkerson and
her impassioned legacy of being a champion of causes I hold dear, but
there also comes a time when the young folks need to simply say enough.
In thinking back to a certain special election a mere three years ago, I
can clearly recall the pleas for some of the candidates to step aside in
order to not dilute the votes and clear a path for victory for a candidate
with a unified community in tow. Sonia Chang-Diaz's victory in the
Democratic primary seems to me to be an identical situation and is a sign
of the changing times that were festering ever since the news media began
throwing around "New Boston" as its phrase-of-the-day.
Communities of color need fresh ideas and energy. We need more active
civic engagement by the legion of young professionals who live and work in
this city. We need more heavily contested campaigns. I am tired of seats
running unopposed as though incumbency is absolute. Is this not the great
Commonwealth, where much of this country's independence was forged
resistance to the status quo?
This is not an endorsement, but more a public challenge. Why not cheer the
persistence of Chang-Diaz to run again and mount a strong campaign. Let's
continue to encourage her peer generation to continue to reach for not
only the low-hanging fruit, but also to dream a better world than the one
in which we live. We see the gray clouds of the economy's collapse and the
bailout plan looming overhead. This region cannot grow or mature with
stubborn minds or mixed-up priorities. No politician is free from the
criticism that comes with serving in public office.
Much like personal responsibility is a root cause of the financial
breakdown, it is also a call to action that citizens and elected officials
must heed to truly be effective leaders. In a relay race, batons are meant
to change hands. Torches are supposed to be passed from one generation to
the next. There's a give-and-take that can respect all generations; with
the old guard as coach and mentor to a new breed receiving guidance and
advice on what it means to have wisdom, honor, integrity and esteem. It is
time for all of us to "wo/man up" and represent.
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