Mark Twain allegedly said that history may not repeat itself, but it often rhymes. We are certainly no strangers to public figures being misquoted or misrepresented, but the adage holds true.
The world has seen populist leaders rise and fall before. Furthermore, history teaches us that countries shatter when they are directed by an individual whose perception of infallibility reaches levels bordering on deification.
Much like cultivating meaningful relationships, the messy work of maintaining a democracy is never complete.
In another week, most of us will loyally find our way to our respective polling places with a genuinely binary choice. Sure, there are more than two names on the ballot, but there are only two potential options to be the chief executive of these United States.
Please do not let imperfections in one candidate lead you to make a choice that will lead to the election of someone much, much worse.
Of course, we would all love to have an ideal person to fill every duty, manage all responsibilities, and share in our vision for the world and our future. The perfect candidate doesn’t exist.
If one did, it would be a mirage put forth by the people for whom subterfuge and misdirection have become career paths. These paths are divided into four-year segments, leaving the truth as a pliable concept, subject to the whims of whoever benefits most.
A true leader understands that no one person possesses all the answers and that all citizens within their realm are their responsibility, not just the ones who demonstrate daily fealty.
The person who resides in the Oval Office has extraordinary powers to direct policy, set the tone for American ideals, and wield the apocalyptic weapons men have created. None of these concepts can be offered lightly, as it is no exaggeration to suggest that each has the power to change the world.
This is beyond politics.
This is far past personalities, sound bites, quips, memes, insults, flow charts, economic philosophies and especially your favorite news show du jour. We have a choice about who is most capable of using reasoning, judgment, humanity, and, ultimately, selflessness to define the next four years and, likely, far deeper into the future.
I am aware that virtually everyone reading these terribly insufficient words has already made their choice and is likely ascribing my sentiments to their favored and disfavored candidates through their own personally prismatic lens.
But it is my hope that you will vote with your conscience, your heart, and your thoughtful belief that we are all hoping to make our world a better place for our own grandchildren and each others’.
Don’t vote to get one over on your neighbor and his differing philosophies. Make the choice that will enhance their lives and yours.
Be deliberate about enhancing our communities, large and small, and that involves decisions that take place every minute of every day, far beyond the ballot box. Vote and live your life so that everyone who comes after you will be proud.
There are no deities in this race. However, there are two humans with profoundly different visions of humanity, and those divergent paths will have ripples far beyond 2024.
No matter what happens with this election, there will be another four-year chase beginning almost immediately, so you may as well focus on the race that truly matters: the human one. That’s a rhyme we can all live with.
Professional school counselor and varsity wrestling coach at Charlottesville High School in Charlottesville, Virginia. Wilkerson is a father to two teenage boys, Avery and Grady, and husband to April, all of whom are very agreeably disagreeable.
