What Are You Thinking?

December 17, 2019

Today I filed my notice of candidacy for the North Carolina House District 53 to run in the November general election as an unaffiliated candidate. This is something that I have thought and prayed about for quite a while and with the full blessing of my wife have decided that now is the time. If I’m being completely honest the idea was germinating when I first started this blog as I thought it would be a great format to share my thoughts on politics and the journey through a political candidacy. As I look back over what I have written here previously, I have come to the realization that I have given glimpses of my beliefs on government.  It isn’t to the extent I feel a representative of the people should make himself known so I will begin to remedy that in the near future. For this entry, however, I will seek instead to answer the first question my wife asked me when I initially broached my intention. Why do this? 

Why do this?

There are a number of reasons why I have chosen this moment to enter the political fray but if I had to boil it down to just two reasons they would be my kids and my kids. 

My first set of kids are at school because I am an educator and my professional calling requires me to take ownership of their development and understanding of the world. As a teacher of social studies, I have spent nearly 15 years explaining the history of man, the development of democracy, and the functions of the American government. During that time I have seen politicians from both parties carry our government further and further away from the founding beliefs and ideals that our textbooks describe. I have come to believe that this isn’t some sort of pendulum swing that will eventually reverse course back towards the principles that I was taught as a student and it became clear that I had two choices. I could begin teaching that the bedrock of our beliefs have cracked and eroded to the point that, going forward, America would be a fundamentally different place or I could try and do something about it. I have obviously chosen the latter. 

The other kids that I referred to in my decision are my own daughters:  Elizabeth Jean and Palmer. My wife and I believe that parents should model the type of behavior they want to see in their children which impelled me to this decision. Complaining about a problem without offering a solution is nothing more than whining and I want my girls to believe that they can make their world a better place. I believe I have something to offer and if I do nothing I become complicit in the destruction of the very institutions that are the backbone of the state and country that I love. I would be turning my back on my children and their future. 

So I’m doing this. It will not be easy but few things of true value are accomplished without hard work and sacrifice.  The first hurdle to an unaffiliated candidacy is procuring signatures to petition in order to appear on the ballot in November and that will be the subject of my next entry. I thank you for your interest and if you are in District 53 I look forward to hearing from you about what you think works and doesn’t work with our state government. For now God bless you and God bless the great state of North Carolina.