I think we often judge our elected officials unfairly, based upon our own political and social beliefs. We look at lawmakers with whom we disagree, and determine that they are ineffective legislators who need to be replaced. But a lawmaker is not necessarily supposed to support our views. An elected official is supposed to represent the views of the majority of their constituents. For example, if you are a die-hard conservative in Western Kansas, you are not likely to agree with the legislation introduced and voted in favor of by a legislator representing a predominantly liberal district in a town such as Lawrence. If you are a progressive Democrat living in Wichita, you will likely oppose laws that are supported by officials elected in conservative areas, such as Wakeeney. But this does not mean that those legislators are not doing a good job. Their job is to represent the views of the people who elect them while trying their best to compromise with the opposition, when feasible. We should not be trying to influence legislators into our way of thinking, and expect them to vote in favor of bills that their constituents oppose. We should be trying to influence the people they represent.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 19:31:33 +0000
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