What do you do when elected officials don’t reflect common ground or common sense?
I just returned from some time off, reconnecting with family and working to broaden our horizon. I hope each of you have had (or will have) the opportunity this summer to get some distance from your everyday life and gain some perspective on the work ahead.
Because there’s plenty of work to do.
Texas is a big state with a big personality and a long, colorful history. For better and worse, we have a reputation for outsized voices, expectations, and performance. Many have a deep and abiding connection to faith, flag, and family. That pride comes out in many different ways.
We cherish the attributes of “can do” and revel in the independence they encourage in our children, our fellow Texans, and ourselves.
That said, our representatives in government can not be independent from the rights, needs, and will of our citizens. Government’s priorities should strengthen communities and economies, sustain Texans through times of struggle, and foster a sustained, clear-eyed examination of the issues that define and evolve our society. Those examinations should position us to be the best we can be, not set us against each other.
Following a second special session of the Texas legislature, however, we’ve seen a flurry of activity on Culture War policies, designed to drive Texans apart in search of sustained partisan majority. Meanwhile, critical infrastructure and healthcare challenges were ignored, or worse, exacerbated. The idea that what’s good for a party is good for Texans — collectively or individually — is missing the point entirely.
We don’t have to take the bait. We can’t allow divisive politics, the gerrymander, or even attempted insurrection to derail the interest of the vast majority of Americans in working together to guide our country and our political institutions back to solid, productive ground.
I hope you enjoyed your Labor Day, the holiday created to celebrate workers and the value of labor as a bedrock of American society.
It’s up to us to expect the best and find the common ground. Then do the work to hold it.
Take care,
Joseph
CEO and Co-Founder of USTomorrow
