I ran for the Minnesota House of Representatives last year. It was a close race against an incumbent with 10 years of elected experience - a native son who nearly died 6 weeks before the election, garnering a lot of sympathy votes.
I am, by nature, one who is comfortable in a leadership role. I used to apologize for it. Now, I know that my community - and yours, too, no doubt - demands authentic, genuine leadership who can rally energy in time of need, coalesce around a shared purpose and get the job done through cooperation, accountability and persistence.
This morning, I surprisingly found myself in agreement with the President, for the first time in years it seems. You're right, Mr. President, your response, and the response of your subordinates, has been - in one simple word - unacceptable.
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I've been smeared agressively by my opponent's partisans, being called
"a walking waste of donor tissue".
I've seen months of hard work by hundreds of our volunteers and myself just slip away because of my opponent's accident.
I've watched as the MN legislature failed to pass important children-based legislation by just one vote - what will be MY vote in 2007.
But nothing compares to the feeling of loss and helplessness this week.
Like you, I've imagined myself on the ground in New Orleans. Hungry, tired, dehydrated and angry. A satellite phone battery going dead. Cell phones not working. What is a person to do? A citizen? A leader?
A leader says "We can do this. If we can't, we will exhaust ourselves trying. And if we can't do this alone, we will gather the resources around us to do it. We will band together, not split apart."
A leader looks to see who's in command, how he or she can help, and fills in the gaps necessary. Absent proper command, a real leader takes charge until a more capable command is on the scene. A leader says, above all else, "we can do this."
A leader plays McGuyver. Dental floss, 2x4's, rafts, mirrors, whatever materials are at hand. Whatever human resources we can muster. "We can do this."
But I am not a Congressman, and likely neither are you. I am not a Lieutenant, and likely neither are you. I am not even yet a legislator, and likely neither are you. I am just a legislative candidate in a distant state - with an email list, the sense of great frustration we all share, and the words of Hubert Horatio Humphrey:
"The moral test of a government is how it treats those who are at the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the aged; and those who are in the shadow of life, the sick, the needy, and the handicapped."
I've submitted the LTE below which will be printed early next week. I'm about to send out an email to my statewide list (700+) and my local list (250+) with links to specific actions they can take.
Dear Editor,
In the shadow of tragedy and unspeakable loss, I have been repeatedly reminded of the words of Minnesota's populist native son. Vice President Hubert Humphrey's creed was "The moral test of a government is how it treats those who are the dawn of life; those who are in the twilight of life; and those who are in the shadow of life: the sick, the needy and the disabled."
We now face that great test. Hurricane Katrina has challenged the will, compassion, and commitment of our great nation: our citizens and our government. Tens of thousands of Americans have gone more than a week with scarcely any water and even less food.
Most of Katrina's refugees face the fear of absolute abandonment and starvation because they did not own a car. Some even went to the bus and train stations 24 hours before the hurricane first struck, only to be told that public transit was prematurely shut-down.
Our greatest teachers preach compassion and the Golden Rule: treat others as we would like be treated, when in their shoes. In the words of Vice President Humphrey: "When we say, `One nation under G-d, with liberty and justice for all,' we are talking about all people. We either ought to believe it or quit saying it."
That very belief - in one nation under G-d - demands that we help in any way that we can. I've chosen to give to the American Red Cross; please join me by calling 1-800-HELP NOW (1-800-435-7669), or at www.RedCross.org.
I pray that those in peril find safety and refuge in their time of immense need. I pray that our great nation meet this moral test.
My question: What else should I encourage my supporters to do? What else can we do?