A display of courage and leadership

Well, that sure was some experience, wasn't it? Talk about a wild ride. Four months ago I never would have imagined the direction events have taken. Now that Bill Owens has been sworn in, I thought I'd share some of my impressions with Assemblywoman Dierdre Scozzafava.

Firstly: Know that many deeply admire all you are doing. Boy, do you have guts. Thank you for your willingness to enter the fray. Your efforts working to help make our communities better places, in the face of daunting opposition, is very encouraging to me and continues to be encouraging for many others. Courage to me means diving into difficulties because it's the right thing to do, not counting the cost. Thank you for showing me a wonderful example of courage.

Secondly: Know that many heard your message. Being ahead of your times is a tough place to be. Advocating for working cooperatively, compromising, striving toward the common good, avoiding the extremes of politics, empowering the disenfranchised, putting the needs of others ahead of your own, or understanding that being an elected official is a sacred trust: all these go against the current tide of self-centeredness.

But, essential truths never lose their value. Thank you for your recognition that polarizing politics is inherently destructive to our world and for being willing to speak out against the popular rhetoric of our times when it is not grounded in truth or what is best for all of us in the long run.

Thirdly: Know that many still respect you and your style of leadership. There are a lot of us who are looking to our elected officials to help us solve our problems. We're not looking to live in a nanny state, and yet we do want our rights protected. Your ongoing level-headedness and ability to work toward solutions are needed commodities in these days and times. While pundits on the national scene may see attempts to destroy individuals as a reasonable tactic in working to consolidate power, we know that we will only move forward in a positive way if we work toward consensus, if we show respect and decency in all that we do, and if we exercise the role of government to protect the least, the last and the lost.

So, hang in there, Dede. The cause persists, and we are promised (by a far greater authority than Rush Limbaugh) that in the end the final victory will be ours, that we will, indeed, overcome.

Don Schuessler

Gouverneur