(This week’s civic education and engagement column from Danville’s The Republican newspaper.)
Want to know what many of your neighbors don’t realize about local elected officials and local government workers? They’re human. Mere mortals. They live their daily lives much the way the rest of us do. They glow in moments of joy and struggle to move forward when faced with life’s crises. Sometimes, they get sick. Sometimes, they have bad days. Sometimes, it’s loved ones facing serious issues.
I don’t know about you, but every day I make at least a few mistakes. Nothing consequential or life-altering, but things like dumb decisions. Having to make three trips to Lowe’s instead of the normal two. I don’t need anyone to point out those imperfections. (Yes, I know you’re just being thoughtful.) Fact is, “perfect” and I aren’t even in the same universe.
Maybe that’s why I try to have as much empathy as possible when other people face life’s crises. There but for the grace of God, I remind myself. We were taught to treat others as we wished to be treated. Even when it’s an elected official or one of those (not) overpaid local government employees.
But boy, a lot of your neighbors don’t see it that way. Elected officials aren’t allowed to make human mistakes or privately deal with personal crises. Hear that a middle school teacher is struggling with a family member’s addiction, and they want all the details announced publicly at the next board meeting. Hear that the town councilor’s spouse is battling cancer, and people still demand that councilor should prioritize their pet issue. After all, who do they think pays their salaries?
Simply put, more than a few people seem to expect elected officials and government employees to be perfect. Anything less than perfect – or any kind of a misstep – and some people decide they no longer deserve the job. Some even seek to publicly ridicule or mock them for what they face as fellow humans.
Those situations don’t arise because local government employs bad people – they arise because it employs people. Humans. Folks who are just as flawed as me. Bad things are going to happen. Embarrassing things are going to happen. Just like they happen to everyone else, everywhere else.
If a worker at your favorite supermarket gets arrested for something that has nothing to do with the job, are you going to demand that the store manager publicly explain why that person was hired? Of course not – that’s crazy, right? Then why are so many of our neighbors eager to see local elected officials and government workers dragged through the mud?
Obviously, being human doesn’t excuse misconduct. If someone abuses public authority, misuses taxpayer money, or does something that affects their ability to perform the job, accountability is entirely appropriate. But accountability for someone’s public responsibilities is different from treating every private failing or personal crisis as public entertainment.
When we hear that a town’s equipment operator, school principal, library board member, or firefighter is dealing with a personal crisis or embarrassing situation, let’s try not to criticize or gossip. Instead, let’s think of the kind of grace we’d want others to grant us if we were in a similar situation. That’s how we should treat them. After all, what they’re dealing with really isn’t our business. Even if we do pay their salaries.