DEALING WITH OUR CRITICS


Elected Officials are the most criticized people in the world. From the point of announcing that you are running for office, until you fade away into the sunset, people feel it is their right to analyze and criticize all you do.

This is very true in Enfield politics. We seem to make an art out of speaking ill of people serving in public office. The political scene in our town has always been filled with letters to the editor, campaign mailings, and phone calls, telling residence the liabilities of politicians.

So, is it fair?

Well, when someone enters the arena of politics it is something they expect. From my experience, I have found that I need a tough skin if I am going to thrust myself in the forum of public analysis and opinion. I have always felt that criticism is just part of being a politician.

So, what makes a "Critic"?

A "Critic" is a person with a disagreement with the ideas of another. We criticize plans, programs, and people we believe to be in error. Democrats and Republicans criticize each other. The right wing blast the left wing. Conservatives denounce Liberals. It is simply how we choose to get our message out.

But I ask again, is it fair?

The answer is yes, if we limit it to the ideas and not the person. Ideologies are always open for scrutiny. Political agendas need to be debated, so that in the end a better idea wins out. Government decisions need to be to perfected through the furnace of intense dialog to assure wisdom prevails.

It is when we leap to destructive attacks that we void out the merits of our criticism. As soon as we go from the idea we disagree with, to the person we do not like, we lose the ear of the public. Credibility is maintained by words of wisdom, not dialog of destruction.

In this years articles on the "The Stokes Report" and in the Enfield Press I will debate ideas I think are truly wrong for Enfield. I will speak to decisions that are not in our best interest. I will, from time to time, become political and one sided. But my goal is to tackle the ideals and issues, not the personalities involved in making them.

Lets, give some credit to everyone elected for placing themselves in the arena. Not many people will leave the comfort of the quiet and calm life, to become the focus of daily evaluation. People running or elected are on the front lines of change and that always makes them a target, along with their families. But, at least they did something of value.

The critics will be there. Insults will still be a political tool to stimulate ideas. But, the winners are not those on the side lines, but those in the arena.

One of my favorite quotes comes from President Theodore Roosevelt and it speaks to this:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Last, recently I received a comment from a Critic on my web site, www.GregTStokes.blogspot.com, who called me a "three time loser". It took me back at first and I became a little offended. Then I thought, yep, I lost three times, so that person got the count correct. But, no one is ever a loser who works hard, cares for his or her family, offers their time to their community, and gets into the "ARENA".

Greg Stokes