Week 1: Starting the Conversation
Toby C -
Hi all!!
This week, I spent a lot of time doing independent research – reviewing the resources I listed in my bibliography, developing a two-page list of questions and topics that I’d like to ask politicians, and drafting the emails that I want to reach out to their offices with. Outreach will start next week!
I was also invited to be on The Launch Pad’s Walk and Talk Podcast this week (available on Spotify here!) I had a wonderful conversation with Courtney, the executive director of the local teen center, about courage in compassion, effective leadership, and the importance of staying curious in order to have a productive conversation, which we forget about so often in the heat of an argument. Especially during the Valentine’s season, we get so caught up with flowers and chocolates; what are we doing to show love for our community?
The intense polarization in our politics is a challenge that my generation will inherit. We see this even within our local community, with the ongoing recall efforts of Prescott mayor Phil Goode. Some have made allegations of overreach in authority, but some disagree that a recall is the correct political process to address it. Next Sunday, I’ll hopefully be attending a meeting of the Recall Committee to get insight on the discussions that are being had.
Courtney, being a member of the committee, emphasized how politically diverse the board was – one might think that this is a partisan issue that would split Democrats and Republicans down the line, but in fact, each party is having their internal disagreements, while staying united and compassionate with one another. If that were the case for all our issues, we’d be better off as a community and a country.
When having these difficult conversations, many youth understand why it’s important to embrace diversity. Simply having the willingness and courage to initiate them is a huge step forwards. But, what is the next step after civil discourse? That’s a loaded question, and I hope to uncover more of the answer as I continue onwards with my project in political leadership.
Overall, a pretty slow week, but things will definitely start picking up, especially as we head into the thick of the 2024 primaries and the recall, and I plan on being on the front lines for it. Until next time!
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