Public Servant

If we can last 28 more days this election will be over - I think most of us would say good riddance! I will confess to being a political junky, and I really don't know why. Given my disdain for most people running for political office, it seems like the last thing that would interest me. I have other vices as well. As hard as I try not to, I am one of those guys who holds up traffic rubbernecking at a car wreck, but that is another post.

This is that season where so many are calling themselves "Public Servants". It does not seem to take them long once they are elected to forget that fact.
As already stated, I have a pretty low regard for those who seek elective office. My reasoning is fairly simple, they lie about why they want to be there. You and I work because we want to make money, and generally speaking the more the better. Now if you ask most of our "Public Servants", you will be told a lot of things, but making money or having power, now that just won't come up. They are there because; "they want to make a difference", "they felt called to serve", "they felt like they needed to give something back". sound familiar?

I was raised in a rural area of Mississippi. When I was growing up, it was the practice to park a big flat bed trailer in front of the county courthouse and all the people seeking office would come and speak to the voters sitting on the courthouse steps or in lawn chairs scattered around . This generally took place on several Saturdays before the election. Food was served, usually Brunswick stew, and there was some local entertainment. In those days it was not uncommon to have someone running for office who would stand up and say: " Now I'm not saying that old Duke has not been a good county commissioner for the district, he has, but he has been in there long enough. It is time to let somebody else have some time at the trough." We could all understand that! In those days I never heard anyone ever call themselves a "Public Servant". In those days being a politician was just another line of work line being a carpenter or a painter or an accountant. We all understood it, we all accepted it. We knew what to expect of our politicians - -and we were seldom disappointed.


You may have noticed that most "public Servants" manage to live really well. I don't begrudge them that, if only they could be honest about it. Being a "Public Servant" will more than likely get you a reserved parking space very close to the door of the building where you "serve". Of course that is not nearly so important once you reach the stage where you serve so well that that you have a car and chauffeur. I know a man who was the mayor of a medium sized city for several years. I once teased him about about having a car with a chauffeur. He first explained to me that he did not have a "chauffeur", he had a "driver". I am not sure the guy driving the car ever knew he had been demoted. Turns out "drivers" don't have an official black chauffeur's hat. At any rate, once I was straight on that , he explained to me that having a "driver" was critical, because it gave him more time to do "the people's business"!

At any rate I am rambling on so here is the point, the next time you hear someone say they are a "Public Servant", try to find out if they were ever a private servant. Did they ever mow their neighbors yard when they were sick or out of town. Did they ever cook for someone that was sick or elderly. Not their spouse mind you, but did they ever do it themselves. Did they take the time to visit a shut-in or someone they were not related to living in a nursing home - -when they were not looking for their vote.

If they were a good "Private Servant" then they might make a good "Public Servant". We all want to know at election time, what will the candidate do for me? The better question might be what would they do for you if you could not vote! That is the real measure of their character. I am not saying I am a good "private servant", I am clearly not, but then again I am not asking for your vote either. How do you think your choice would stack up?