By the time you read this piece, there may be a major, minor, or no change of our government at the federal, state and local level here in Portland.
Elections will have been won or lost, some incumbents (myself included) may have been reelected or replaced, political newcomers may be excited and rolling up their sleeves.
Politics evolves all the time, but recently engagement has been getting worse; unless we find a way to create a standard of engagement based on respect, the situation will continue to deteriorate and the future of our country and children will be the casualties. I hope that after the dust has settled in Portland we, as a city and community, will find a way to engage each other respectfully – no matter our political ideology. Our political adversaries are not our enemies, they are our partners with different sets of values. It’s not too late to redirect our political discourse.
The people of Portland have always come together and created space for one another. I hope we in politics can govern openly, respectfully to respond to the community’s needs and create a more just community where everyone can thrive. I am looking forward to doing this work with all of you. Let’s get to work to save American democracy.
Pious Ali
Portland
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