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Real Answers™
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Copyright: © ©2004 Gary Hardaway
575 words

GOOD VOTERS LOOK BEYOND THEIR BACKYARDS

By: Gary Hardaway

Out here in western Washington, people are moving into our cities and counties at a rapid pace. In the last four years, the median price of housing has soared about 40%. Freeways and highways are more congested – and getting worse every day.

Our unique mountainous terrain leaves little room for building new roads where they’re most needed. There’s a lot of talk about mass transit, but it would cost many billions and several years to get a system up and running.

Meanwhile, our main north-south artery, Interstate 5, which runs from Oregon, through Seattle on up to British Columbia, cannot accommodate much more truck traffic. Increasingly, huge semis clog the lanes and generate commuter frustration. Delays are long and wearisome.

Recently, some planning agency in the state bureaucracy suggested that the state replace state highway 9, a scenic two lane north-south route, with a massive 8-10 lane truck corridor, with trains whizzing along a wide central median. I-5 would become a thoroughfare dedicated entirely to autos, pickups, and vans. All commercial vehicles would travel on the super truckway.

Such a project just might dissolve the congestion, which if not addressed will bring terminal gridlock. But residents near the proposed route are appalled at the prospect of seeing their quiet rural landscape transformed into a mammoth eternally noisy truck/rail alley. One hears the familiar objection: not in my backyard.

Skipping to a completely different topic: where can the state establish halfway houses for convicted sex offenders reentering society after serving their prison time? The most frequent answer? Not in my backyard.

Our old county jail is egregiously overcrowded. Some fairly serious criminals are being released because there’s nowhere to put them. The county has found a suitable site to build a large facility to detain lower-risk inmates. It’s in an industrial area with mostly factories and warehouses. But the few residents within a mile radius or so are raising a big stink: not in my neighborhood.

Many issues create a clash of values: my personal preference vs. the good of the community. How does this affect me vs. how would this affect my fellow citizens. Too often we take the narrow view, assuming that our self-interest ought to trump everything else. Yet our constitutional system assumes that we will unselfishly promote the public interest, as well as look out for ourselves.

The founders expected us to "provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity." They assumed we would vote for the common good without regard for our own personal convenience. That tradition has taken a beating for several decades now, leaving us more at the mercy of whichever special interest gains the upper hand on the political battlefield.

We used to call elected officials "public servants." Does that label still apply to many politicians? At the ballot box, citizens were also momentarily considered "public servants" as they chose candidates who would advance the good of the whole society. Does that momentary servanthood still live on in our culture and consciousness?

As we go to the polls November 2, let’s take a biblical principle with us into the voting booth. "Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4). What’s best for the whole community? Who would best promote the common good? How should we share the blessings of liberty together – beyond our backyards?

Gary Hardaway has taught in universities in the USA, Lithuania and Canada. He holds a Ph. D. in foundations of education. "Real Answers™" furnished courtesy of The Amy Foundation Internet Syndicate. To contact the author or The Amy Foundation, write or E-mail to: P. O. Box 16091, Lansing, MI 48901-6091; amyfoundtn@aol.com

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