Kontos Column: You get what you vote for
By Dan Kontos
In breaking international news, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for an immediate and unilateral cease-fire in Gaza after receiving a telephone call from the American President, Joseph Biden.
Biden explained that he had just obtained a copy of a strongly worded resolution from the Common Council of Stevens Point, Wisconsin demanding a halt to hostilities, as well as peace and goodwill towards all men. Presumedly, they meant to say men, women, breeding persons, and the like, but I digress.
Biden went on to say that after his debate performance earlier this week, he felt his time was short, and spurred on by this resolution, he wanted to at least accomplish something, besides ruining the economy, facilitating an invasion on the southern border, rampant crime, establishing a police state, lawfare, etc.
Just kidding! That was a joke. All but the part about ruining the economy and the rest of that.
Oh, the part about the Common Council passing a cease-fire resolution was true too. No, really. Look for yourself, starting at the 42-minute mark.
Elections have consequences, and my neighbors and friends in Stevens Point can see this firsthand. The business of government has been coopted by special interests, convinced that virtue signaling is the same as governing. The alders should be very thankful that they are blessed with a great city staff and a mayor who has the best interests of Stevens Point in mind, and who can keep things afloat, while you move forward with fanciful plans for solar-powered garbage trucks by 2050, or some such nonsense.
Look, the Stevens Point Common Council can do what it wants. Waste their time and pat each other on the back; I don’t care. However, their actions are a useful and cautionary tale for the rest of us. You get what you vote for, or fail to vote against.
This is not so much about the resolution itself. The inaccuracies, the ignoring of the terror attack on October 7, the killing of innocents by Hamas while hiding behind civilians, the rape, the hostages, and the list of evil goes on – in details that I cannot in good conscience list here.
Look, I want peace too. The carnage, the suffering, the destruction are all abhorrent. But it’s not a binary choice between war and serenity. It’s about choosing the best of the bad choices to end the fighting for good.
But it’s not about that. This is a warning to those who are grounded in reality, and choose facts over emotions. Our republic requires an engaged and educated citizenry to select and empower our elected representatives to govern wisely. Look at what we’ve got today – from the national, state, county, and local levels. You want change? You are the leader that you have been waiting for.
It’s not enough to vote, but vote early and bank your vote. Then get five others to vote too. Donations, volunteering, posting on social media. You need to get involved. Be unafraid and do the right thing.
In the words of Henry Ford, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”
So, with that, let’s meet in the opinion section to talk about all of it, boldly, honestly, with an appreciation for all our neighbors, and with a healthy respect for each other. Until then, remember that God loves you, and so do I.