“Respect for All Persons”: A Letter from President Jim Reynolds on America’s Voting Privileges
Perhaps like many of you, I have been inundated with the messages from the various political campaigns over the past few weeks. Each nominee has taken the opportunities presented to them to find fault with their opponent and in my opinion, the political season has become harsh and shrill. I am old enough to know that this happens almost every election cycle but this year the rhetoric seems more divisive and frankly, it’s tough for me to watch.
I am not a political scientist by training or education but I can remember from civics/government classes during my high school days that our country was created as a representative democracy where individuals were able to cast their votes for the person who they felt best represented the values and ideals that they held. The privilege of citizenship is to be able to use the ballot box to bring about the change that one wishes to see in government. Unlike other countries, where elections can be fraught with violence and supporters of the losing candidates can be imprisoned for their dissent, our country has a long history of peaceful elections and peaceful post-election periods where the transition from one government to another takes place.
I have to confide in all of you that my biggest fear concerning this election cycle is that we will forget those lessons. The possibility of post-election discord and upheaval is a bit disconcerting for me since I believe that in a representative democracy, there are no losers. We will all have had the chance to freely vote for the person that we believe is best for the office, the votes will be counted, and the country that we all love will continue to be a beacon of light in a dark world. We are not a perfect union but when I look around, there are many reasons to want to be a part of our American society.
One of the College’s most important core values is “Respect for All Persons”. Respect doesn’t necessarily mean that we agree on all substantive issues. What it does mean is that as an institution of higher learning, we believe we are a better place when there are divergent views on issues that challenge our opinions and sharpen our critical thinking skills. It means that we can express those views without fear of reprisal or retribution. It also means that we are civil in our discourse; that we can disagree without being disagreeable. Respecting each other is an enormous challenge in difficult times but it is our heritage and history and it makes us a better place when we can live by this value.
Tomorrow night, someone will be declared the winner in our Presidential election. I don’t know who that will be nor would I suggest to any of you that either candidate should or should not be elected. As a participant in our representative democracy, I would encourage you, if you have not already done so, to vote for the person you feel best represents you. My only request is that once a person has been declared the winner, our value of respect becomes the most important value that we all hold. It won’t be the time for rants on our College App or personal confrontations. It won’t be the time to taunt or “throw shade” at the people who voted for the person who isn’t named the winner. Nor will it be time to declare any anger you might hold and do something that is outside of the character and values of our College. It will be the time to remember our value of respect and to practice it in the most strenuous way possible.
Carl Sandberg was a poet from my home state of Illinois who wrote a poem about the city of Chicago that was first published in 1914. One of the most famous lines from that poem described the city of Chicago as the “City of the Big Shoulders”. I’ve always interpreted that line to represent the strength of a community, a place that was strong enough to take on any challenge. My hope for tomorrow is that we will be a College of the big shoulders – that we will rise above any petty bickering and be respectful of our friends and colleagues across campus, regardless of their political leanings. That is the true purpose of a college like ours – to provide a safe place for all views and respect for each other no matter what.
Please remember to be kind, considerate and respectful every day but especially tomorrow after the votes are counted. All of us deserve the very best from each other, even at times when we might not be at our best.
With respect for all of you,
Jim Reynolds, President of Wilmington College