Plano Profile March 2010 : Page 8
as i see it Father knows best? W HEN I FIRST ENTERED elected service in 1991, I learned a new expres- sion, at least as it related to politics—“father knows best.” When used to describe an elected official or a government body it meant that they did not need or want the input of the citizenry because they knew what was good for the people. In our representative form of democracy, it seems that many of our elected officials believe that they know best what should be done for (and often to) the people. We have witnessed this way of thinking at all levels of government. Even here in Plano, I heard concern about the father-knows-best attitude when I entered poli- tics. I sometimes referenced a quote attributed to one of our state legislators: “I try to vote the way a majority of my constituents would vote if they knew what I did.” To me that was a good way of looking at the job of an elected representative; however, even that description might be construed to characterize the father-knows-best mentality. It became apparent to me that the key to being an effective representative was to find out what the citi- zens wanted. That is the reason the city council spent so much time—frankly, an extraordinary amount of time—in neighborhood meetings, town hall sessions, and listening to citizen comments at the regular city council meetings. The German poet, novelist, playwright, and 1999 Nobel Prize winner Günter Grass said, “The job of a citizen is to keep his mouth open.” As I see it, the job of the elected official is to listen. It is the inability to listen that causes the people to get frustrated with our government. In the October 2009 Rasmussen Reports it was noted that a “national telephone survey finds that 62% believe 8 PLANO PROFILE MARCH 2010 that what the media thinks is more important to the aver- age member of Congress than what voters think. Just 27% say what voters think is more important to the average congressman.” The remaining 11% were undecided. The healthcare debate that rages throughout our country provides a vivid example of the father-knows- best mentality that is rampant in Washington today. Poll after poll shows that Americans are concerned about the direction healthcare legislation is headed. The January Massachusetts senatorial election upset provided a loud and clear message that “the people” are not behind the plan. And yet, President Obama dismissed the polls and the historic Democratic loss as the people not understand- ing the issue. In his State of the Union speech, he said, “Still, this is a complex issue, and the longer it was debated, the more skeptical people became. I take my share of the blame for not explaining it more clearly to the American people.” Perhaps the American people understand just fine, they just don’t want that plan. Assuming that the people are not smart enough to figure out complex issues and draw their own conclusion is exactly what leads to a father-knows- best mentality and what leads the people to view our government as out-of-touch and arrogant. T he term “father knows best” originated with the 1949 family comedy radio program which became a popular television show from 1954–1963. Robert Young, co-creator and star of the show, played insurance salesman Jim Anderson, who with wife Margaret dealt with the challenges of raising three children. Interestingly, Father didn’t always know best. Often, like in “The Close Decision” (March 27, 1955), Jim was wrong. In that episode, he told son Bud, “I’m not sure if what I’m doing is right, but I’ll take the full responsibility.” In fact, the title of the radio program was Father Knows Best? Perhaps what is missing in our national government today is the humility needed to add the question mark. Maybe then, our leaders would hear the people. ■ Contact John Longstreet at jlongstreet@hospitalityleadersgroup.com. JOHN LONGSTREET
As I See It
John Longstreet
Father knows best?
When I first Entered elected service in 1991, I learned a new expression, at least as it related
To politics—“father knows best.” When used to describe an elected official or a government body it meant that they did not need or want the input of the citizenry because they knew what was good for the people.
In our representative form of democracy, it seems that many of our elected officials believe that they know best what should be done for (and often to) the people. We have witnessed this way of thinking at all levels of government. Even here in Plano, I heard concern about the father-knows-best attitude when I entered politics.
I sometimes referenced a quote attributed to one of our state legislators: “I try to vote the way a majority of my constituents would vote if they knew what I did.” To me that was a good way of looking at the job of an elected representative; however, even that description might be construed to characterize the father-knows-best mentality. It became apparent to me that the key to being an effective representative was to find out what the citizens wanted. That is the reason the city council spent so much time—frankly, an extraordinary amount of time—in neighborhood meetings, town hall sessions, and listening to citizen comments at the regular city council meetings.
The German poet, novelist, playwright, and 1999 Nobel Prize winner Günter Grass said, “The job of a citizen is to keep his mouth open.” As I see it, the job of the elected official is to listen. It is the inability to listen that causes the people to get frustrated with our government.
In the October 2009 Rasmussen Reports it was noted that a “national telephone survey finds that 62% believe that what the media thinks is more important to the average member of Congress than what voters think. Just 27% say what voters think is more important to the average congressman.” The remaining 11% were undecided.
The healthcare debate that rages throughout our country provides a vivid example of the father-knowsbest mentality that is rampant in Washington today. Poll after poll shows that Americans are concerned about the direction healthcare legislation is headed. The January Massachusetts senatorial election upset provided a loud and clear message that “the people” are not behind the plan. And yet, President Obama dismissed the polls and the historic Democratic loss as the people not understanding the issue.
In his State of the Union speech, he said, “Still, this is a complex issue, and the longer it was debated, the more skeptical people became. I take my share of the blame for not explaining it more clearly to the American people.” Perhaps the American people understand just fine, they just don’t want that plan. Assuming that the people are not smart enough to figure out complex issues and draw their own conclusion is exactly what leads to a father-knowsbest mentality and what leads the people to view our government as out-of-touch and arrogant.
The term “father knows best” originated with the 1949 family comedy radio program which became a popular television show from 1954–1963. Robert Young, co-creator and star of the show, played insurance salesman Jim Anderson, who with wife Margaret dealt with the challenges of raising three children. Interestingly, Father didn’t always know best. Often, like in “The Close Decision” (March 27, 1955), Jim was wrong. In that episode, he told son Bud, “I’m not sure if what I’m doing is right, but I’ll take the full responsibility.” In fact, the title of the radio program was Father Knows Best?
Perhaps what is missing in our national government today is the humility needed to add the question mark.
Maybe then, our leaders would hear the people.
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