A Happy Medium by Erin Murtaugh

Next Tuesday I will vote in a real election for the first time. I know where I stand and who I’m voting for, but I’m not one to discuss my political viewpoints with others.

There is one thing I will discuss though: respect.

People we vote into office should be respectful. They should respect the people they represent, and, more importantly, their higher-ups.

I’m talking more on a local standpoint here. I know there are a few people who currently hold office positions in the community who will not be getting my vote in this coming election. I have seen them firsthand disrespect community members and their leaders. If you are going to run for a position of leadership in a community, you should also have integrity and be one of the most respectful people the community has seen.

Community members should also respect those running for office and those who hold office positions already.

For example, the altercation that happened with campaign signs for Kurt Freitag and Bob Kindler was not OK. The sign is quite clearly disrespectful to Freitag. But, also, I would find it embarrassing to be Kindler and have my campaign sign up next to a defaced sign. I feel as though both parties were hurt during this event.

I hope that regardless of who gets voted into office to run our local, state and national government, people can come to respect our leaders. I hope that our leaders also can come to respect each other.

A wise friend once told me, “You don’t have to like or agree with someone to respect them.”

 

Albert Lea High School graduate Erin Murtaugh is a first-year student at Rochester Community and Technical College. She can be reached at murtaugh.erin@gmail.com.