Sitting in a canoe along the Wisconsin edge of the Mississippi River, I had no idea that I would someday be questioning, “the whip.”
I do not consider myself political, particularly when it comes to choosing sides. I like the myth of bi-partisans and independents. Myth or not, I intentionally look carefully at both sides of the coin. Civility is key here. Yet, the door remains locked to what is Civil, for some, during this Milwaukee race for County Executive. At this late (or early) hour, I hardly know who to vote for.
Yes, I admit it. On the “rockin’ eve” of one of the most grimy, not for your kids television ad-driven campaigns, I do not feel intelligently informed or convinced that I really know either candidate, truly. From these eyes, politics in Wisconsin has been just plain old evil and irresponsible, as of late. Incidentally, it is hard to teach our children to play well in the sand box, if we don’t show them. They watch us. They have been watching us and they, believe it or not, watch the slander! Who are their leaders?
We are being led farther and farther – ending up in separate corners, based on political ideology, race, class, socio-economic status and educational levels. Dear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I fear we are still living our nightmares and not your dreams. We humans fight over the oddest things.
Anyway, on this eve of what feels like the apocalypse, I reflect…whom will I pull the trigger for, Republican Jeff Stone or Democrat Chris Abele? It’s like choosing between the Bloods and the Crips. They both have “reportedly” said some contradictory “stuff”. Their campaigns both hurl far too many accusations about the other, wasting a lot of time, attacking and defending, instead of telling the public why they would be “the” leader worth following.
I have seen both speak publicly, in some pretty steamy environments. I have seen for myself, unlike the face of God, how they both handle themselves under pressure. They both impressed me. Personally, I have an interest in revolutionary approaches to solving complex problems, and won’t profess to know how to truly make “Milwaukee the economic engine,” it has the potential to be.”
I do know that the next county executive of Milwaukee County needs to be an authentic, servant leader. I do know that person has to have a deeply rooted love affair with Milwaukee and Madison. We need that person to hold them both in high esteem, as all of its cities, big and small, as the early laborers would have wanted (maybe). Definitely, this person must not “secretly” see Milwaukee as a wart that needs removal or treatment, but rather like a “cornucopia of prosperity and abundance,” as the Wisconsin State Seal boasts. I do know, that I don’t know who, of our two candidates, will or deserves to win. The two victories can be very different.
Most of all though, I want my county leader to be approachable, maverick and consistent and be able to address “the whip.”
I know I can be a bit free flowing, but stay with me.
Wisconsin has a Great State Seal. Our collective reflection, at this hour, on its contents is apropos.
The Secretary of State uses the seal “to authenticate all of the governor’s official acts, except laws.” Inside the seal there are honorable mentions – a badger (our glamorous state animal), a shield, a plow (to represent agriculture), a pick and a shovel to represent mining and an arm and hammer to celebrate manufacturing. Also present, an anchor, for “navigating the link from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River, via Wisconsin Rivers.”
These may be the same waters, perhaps, I canoed in with Children’s Outing Association (COA). I not sure of funding stream for that organization, way back then, but the experiences were life shaping, in the early 80s. I wasn’t alone. There were others my age, of all backgrounds and lifestyles, who may also, hopefully, be reading this Blog post right now. We had no concept then, of the history we floated on, was once a main support for shipping in the 1800s.
Return to the Great Seal. Where are the miners and shippers today? A marine and land-based labor force back then…today, no lead, no iron. And if the images of the two men holding the seal are to represent a sailor and a minor, the red-shirted miner is holding a digging apparatus and the blue-coated sailor is (appears to be) holding a whip!
Do these things ever get updated?
Who or what does a sailor whip? Whipping water seems a bit futile.
That is what I am looking for in my next Milwaukee County Executive, someone who will take a brave look at the subtleties that shape the culture in our city throughout the state and be passionate, not just pre-election, but consistently. They must be willing to tackle, little, but nagging divisors that loom! I could give a rat’s hindquarters about what a leader “is supposed” to look or dress like, where he is schooled, how much he is in the black, or if he lives inside or outside the community. From where I come from, (Kingston, New York – Home of Sojourner Truth) they are both outsiders here, as am I.
Little, but official curiosities, like this nagging image of a white man holding a “whip,” stings. It is all I can think about, since tripping over it as I researched Wisconsin and the laws of the land. It appears to be an “old” distracting “political” symbol that would benefit from an upgrade, rather, re-branding.
This will be the subject of my first letter to the New, County Executive. May the best, (yikes) man win. And why weren’t there any women County Executives in the running? I know – I know, free flowing has its limitations.
Sources
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_of_Wisconsin
- http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Wisconsin/stateSEAL.html
- http://www.wisconsin.gov/state/core/colorcoat.html
- http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/seals/wi_seal.htm
