Political Season is Upon Us
Posted by Steven Walden
on May 06, 2011
It is that time of year when all of the political advertisements start springing up. Our local papers are also filled with all sorts of political news. Having open forums to advertise candidates and to discuss political issues is necessary and one of the foundations of our great nation. Rotarians are traditionally involved in politics due to our involvement in the community and status as leaders. So, there is that temptation to allow politics to slip into Rotary meetings, events and programs. It can be as simple as expressing an opinion about current affairs, or openly suggesting we vote for a particular candidate.
Just by way of reminder, we do not want politics to invade our times together. When it comes to politics, we all have differing opinions, ideals, and desires. When it comes to Rotary, we are unison in our goal of eliminating disease, promoting literacy, encouraging world peace, and aiding in humanitarian relief. One of the ways we distract ourselves from our goals and mission is by allowing campaigns to enter our meetings by introducing guests as "so-and-so, running for a particular office." Another way of distracting us from our purpose is to permit solicitation of political support at our events like the Crawfish Boil.ÂÂ
My fear is that we will be perceived as a club that supports one candidate or party over another, which simply is untrue. We can accept that there are Rotarians in our club that are members of, or support, the Democratic Party, Republican Party, Tea Party, Green Party, Toga Party, Slumber Party, etc. While our club does not support any of these organizations individually, we do support our liberty that allows for all of these parties to exist and have a public voice. We also support the men and women that assure that this liberty is protected within and beyond our borders.
In our past, fines have been imposed for violators of the "no-campaign" or the "that's political" rule. These penalties are still in place and will be imposed for any future violations. So, let's keep politics out of the time we have created for our club and enjoy our time we have together without the distraction.ÂÂ
I look forward to seeing all of you at The Boil!!
Yours in Rotary,
Steve WaldenÂÂÂ
My fear is that we will be perceived as a club that supports one candidate or party over another, which simply is untrue. We can accept that there are Rotarians in our club that are members of, or support, the Democratic Party, Republican Party, Tea Party, Green Party, Toga Party, Slumber Party, etc. While our club does not support any of these organizations individually, we do support our liberty that allows for all of these parties to exist and have a public voice. We also support the men and women that assure that this liberty is protected within and beyond our borders.
In our past, fines have been imposed for violators of the "no-campaign" or the "that's political" rule. These penalties are still in place and will be imposed for any future violations. So, let's keep politics out of the time we have created for our club and enjoy our time we have together without the distraction.ÂÂ
I look forward to seeing all of you at The Boil!!
Yours in Rotary,
Steve WaldenÂÂÂ