Values

 

Do you know what your values are? Some nameless author reflected, “A sense of values is the most important single element in human personality”; and film writer and producer Roy Disney, nephew of the great pioneer of the American animation industry, Walt Disney, was convinced, “It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.”

Roy’s declaration comes as an apt reminder to take stock of one’s values, especially when an election rolls ‘round.

When campaigning for commissioner, I would often say, “You probably don’t know me, but, hopefully, you know yourself and what you value. Therefore, vote for the candidate that most aligns with your values and hold them accountable.”

When it comes right down to it, it should be about values, not a political party. Maybe your parents and grandparents, or even your great-grandparents–if you can recall that far back– identified themselves with a particular political party and voted accordingly, but it’s apparent those days are long gone. Your ancestors would be hard-pressed to recognize the political party they supported, supported because of the values defined in that particular party’s political platform.

Purportedly founded on values, a political party’s platform is a formal set of principal goals, which are endorsed by that party in order to appeal to the general public for the ultimate purpose of amassing the general public’s support, as a conclusion, your vote.

Ask yourself, what are the values identified by the two predominant political parties, according to their stated platforms? I’m not referring to their traditional monikers, or platitudes crafted for public consumption, rather the things they candidly believe, what they stand for, what they will uphold and defend, what their high-profile leaders corroborate and give voice to in the public square.

French general and emperor Napoleon Bonaparte concluded, “There are two levers to set a man in motion, fear and self-interest.” Politicians understand this and invest millions in scheming and contriving ways to pull these two levers.

Any sense “fear” and “self-interest” are in motion in today’s political world?

If you are in the judicious habit of listening with your values in mind and not getting caught up in the verbal gymnastics and emotional hyperbole of well-cloaked politicians, there’s a strong possibility you might be aghast to discover how far apart you and your political affiliation’s views have advanced.

Fact is, you may come to the realization that you’ve been living much of your life on “autopilot.” When you’re on autopilot, you have a tendency to fall into “conditioned,” mechanical patterns of thought and behavior…most of which you did not consciously choose. Let’s just say you discovered you had been caught up in the crowd’s too-often reckless momentum. Thomas Jefferson advised, “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.”

And another thought, have you ever noticed how platforms are deceptively filled with promises, many of them grandiose parroted boiler-plate maxims that are brainstormed to be intentionally vague? One might conclude, grievously dismissive of the honest to-goodness, day-today concerns of the average voter.

R. Père Lebret, whose work and thoughts were one with his life, observed, “Civilization ceases when we no longer respect and no longer put into their correct places the fundamental values, such as work, family and country; such as the individual, honor and religion.”

My advice, for what it’s worth, when you go to the polls this November, keep your values before you and align your life–and your choices–with those values.

Former Cook County Commissioner Garry Gamble is writing this ongoing column about the various ways government works, as well as other topics. At times the column is editorial in nature.