When we, the United States, were one of Great Britain’s colonies, we did not have a representative in Parliament, nor did England think we should have one. It was the lack of representation that caused our foundling country to revolt against the greatest military power on earth. It was audacious, crazy and brave, and it showed the power of the peoples’ desire for equality, fair play and freedom in the face of a daunting foe.
Looking back, with hindsight one might wonder why England didn’t just give the American colony a representative. This year, we had a local election for city council and mayor. The people voted and we now have two new council members and a new mayor; however, the new mayor left an open seat on the city council. It would stand to reason that one of the other two candidates who put their names in the race, who battled it out and went through the election process and who got voted for by a percentage of the population, should fill that open seat. But the rules are not set up that way. The city council will get to appoint someone. It would be a travesty if they appointed anyone other than one of the two who ran.
Like England before them, the city council will be making a grave mistake if they do not appoint someone who represents the growing number of diverse views in St. George, because as St. George continues to grow and diversify, so will the voting public. If the perception that the city council will only appoint someone within their crowd, of their political bent, and who sees things the way they do cements in the collective mind, then it will reinforce the growing view that the city is run by cronies who are biased, unfair and who are only looking out for their own interests. Tara Dunn and Ed Baca both got public support by people who believed they would represent their views well. It would be folly to think that a person other than those two would be palatable to those voters. Right now, all eyes are looking toward city council to see what they will do. While there will not be a military revolution in response, the discontent that the minority will feel if someone unknown is appointed will grow and fester into something palpable and real.
Perception is reality, and if the city council does not consider the minority in this town and appoint a minority contender who ran for office, the public’s perception of them will not be pretty. It is only fair and right that the remaining two candidates who ran for office should be the only two considered for John Pike’s seat on city council. Only time will tell if city council will do the right thing. Let’s hope they do.
