Who’s Gonna Fill their Shoes

The “Possum” or for those of you who didn’t receive a proper education, George Jones, was an icon. As country music began to sound more like pop hits, he and others began pushing the revival of country music. Regardless of if you like steel guitars and Cherokee fiddles or electric guitars and computer overlays, there is no doubt that country music has changed drastically since I used to listen to Loretta Lynn croon away about taking my man on the AM power KSIW in Woodward, Oklahoma. While music has changed, so has the political fabric of our nation. Old Possum might have been worried about the future of Country music, but more importantly we better be worried about the future of our nation and who is going to Fill Their Shoes on the City Council Dyess, the County Commission room, the state legislative hall, and the halls of the US Congress.

Let me be clear, I am not doubtful that we have many up and coming smart, talented, and amazing Americans in our midst that are well qualified to lead our nation into the future. I am a little more apprehensive, however, whether these folks will be convicted to give their time and talents to serve our nation. This is not a new concern. The iconic quote from Douglas Adams outlines it perfectly. “It is a well-known fact that those people who most want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it”. 

It seems that many folks who strive to be involved in our political process are driven by a personal agenda, have very little knowledge of our system, and ultimately become ideological sycophants that do more damage than good. The folks we need to run for office are raising families, running businesses, volunteering at service clubs, or just avoiding the public flogging that comes with running for public office. So again I ask: who’s gonna fill their shoes?

The answer is only going to be answered by committed, intelligent citizens that feel compelled to serve this nation. Your Chamber of Commerce and you can help! How? We can educate qualified candidates about the election system, convince quality folks to run for office, set up flexible HR policies to encourage participation, fund their campaign efforts, and then help the public learn about these individuals so that they are elected.

I truly believe that the election of 2022 will be historic in nature. We are at a crossroads in many respects. Your Chamber of Commerce will endeavor to keep you informed at every step of the way through forums, surveys, and even reverse endorsements. It may not be as drastic as Alan Jackson and George Strait sang (there’s been a murder on music row), but make no doubt that the future of our nation will be shaped by our ability to encourage good people to run for office and then subsequently to get them elected to office.

Serving Cheyenne:

Your Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1907 and is more than 1,000 members strong. We advocate for business at all levels of government and promote our community to make the region a better place to live, work, and do business. Visit www.cheyennechamber.org/advocacy for more information about our work at your chamber.