Mayoral candidate integrity on immigration

One of my biggest pet peeves, and why I became the Las Vegas Conservative Examiner, is hypocrisy. I absolutely cannot stand a lack of integrity in candidates and politicians. As a discerning voter, I want to know the good, the bad, and the ugly about a candidate before I vote. It’s an interesting philosophy I learned in graduate school.

I attended my master’s program in Counseling Psychology, with a specialization in Transpersonal Psychology, in Northern California – the land of peaceniks and libtards. The fact that I was one at the time is not wholly relevant to this story (but notice how I owned it anyway). As budding psychotherapists we were taught to be aware of cultural differences, because we may have clients from many cultural backgrounds. One of the challenges we were given was to be honest with ourselves about any and all prejudice we may experience. It was explained to us that everyone experiences some level of prejudice, and to own it, in order to work on it, not to deny it and pretend it doesn’t exist. For a liberally based graduate program, that was mighty mature of them to teach us, and demonstrated a high level of integrity.

Well, in my capacity as a journalist reporting pertinent information to the conservative community about candidates and issues, I felt it was very important to know where the mayoral candidates stand on the issue of immigration. After all; every single one of them, that I’ve heard speak, talks to us about job creation. Granted, some speak about job creation through education, or through movie studios, green energy, decreased taxes, and increased incentives… blah, blah, blah. None address the fact that many Las Vegas jobs have been hijacked by illegal immigrants - sponsored by the unions, and supported by the tourism industry (hotels, casinos, and restaurants). So it was with a sense of purpose that I wrote my op-ed about what the four candidates I’ve been blessed to interview said to me on the subject.

As I always do after writing an article and posting it on examiner.com, I added the link to my Facebook page and the pages belonging to each of the candidates mentioned. Imagine my surprise when I checked back today on each of their fb pages, to find that George Harris (or a representative of his campaign) deleted the article because it painted Mr. Harris in a less than favorable light regarding illegal immigration.

Now, I understand his fb page is his, and he is certainly entitled to have posted whatever he wants. But I find it odd that he deleted the link about the immigration story but kept the link to his profile article. To me, that indicates a desire to hide a fact that has the potential to dissuade voters from voting for him. It has now become an integrity issue to me. If he spoke openly with me, but didn’t like that I shared what he said, that indicates he doesn’t want to be open with potential voters. And if he is willing to hide something as pertinent as his stance on illegal immigration when running for mayor of a major city, what else is he willing to hide? Will he be a transparent mayor, if he’s not willing to be a transparent candidate…?

Early voting started yesterday, March 19^th, and I urged voters in an article not to early vote just for such a reason – there is not enough known about each candidate at this juncture. I have forgone early voting in this election because I am not done attempting to interview mayoral candidates, and will not make a final decision on whom to vote for until I have. To do so otherwise would be unfair and pretentious. I cannot vote for a candidate early and then pretend to be unbiased with others I interview; so I will wait until I’ve spoken with as many as possible. I urge all voters to do the same. To vote for a candidate on personality or Party affiliation only, is an irresponsible reason to vote, in my opinion. If we look at the most recent presidential election, we can see what happens when people vote uninformed based on Party affiliation or personality.

Before you vote, determine where integrity lies in your candidate’s political tool box.

Blessed with a sense of community

When I saw my mother unconscious Wednesday, after I got over the shock and took action, it occurred to me that I’m getting older. I was genuinely scared; for my mother, but also for myself. First, I didn’t feel old enough to be without my mom. Sure, I’m almost 50 (yes, I’ll admit it) and I have a son of my own; but this is the time in my life when I appreciate my mom the most. Believe me, when I was my son’s age, I had very little appreciation for my mother or what it must be like to be one. Second, seeing my mother dependent and helpless was a slap in the face that I had better get my act together and get back to a healthy lifestyle. Not at this age, or any age, do I want to be beholden to others to care for me. I turned to my son, as we waited for the paramedics to stabilize my mother, and asked him to please support me in getting back to the gym and eating healthy.

My grandma, bless her, is 105 years old. She didn’t begin to “act her age” until well into her 80s. Grandma used to have her own mobile home in Magalia, California; in a beautiful forested retirement community. I remember being a child, playing in the red clay and taking walks in the pine forest, seeing rabbits and deer as regularly as pet dogs and cats. In her 80s Grandma was still climbing on her roof to make repairs, driving herself into town, and tending to her property. After a nose bleed that she couldn’t stop, she got understandably scared that something could happen to her and no one would know. So she sold her mobile home and moved to Las Vegas to be close to my mom. Sadly, the move and loss of autonomy is also what caused Grandma to recognize her age – and she quickly got old and helpless.

My mom was about my current age when I enlisted in the Army. I remember my mom as being young, vibrant, and well coiffed. When I was a young child, back in the 1960s and 70s, my mom had the typical teased and sprayed hair style. I smile as I look back with my mind’s eye to her mini skirts (which weren’t as mini as they are now, and which were appropriate business attire – thanks to Uhura in Star Trek). When I left for Army basic training, my mom had just purchased her first property as a single person. She took up dancing and golf. Along the way, we both got older – and now my mom is the age my grandma was when I was young. It’s very disconcerting because in my mind I feel like I’m still in my 20s. I look at my son and I see the past 19 years pass before me. I was 29 when I gave birth.  But spending time with my son also makes me think I’m young again, as he challenges me to do things I used to or never have – and then I remember I’m not so young as I want to believe I am; when I become winded, develop pain, and have difficulty using my disabled arm. It is true what they say; youth is wasted on the young.

I found a clarifying moment in Wednesday’s events, besides realizing I’m aging myself faster than necessary with my dereliction of responsibility for and to myself; I have more support now than I have since graduate school. The outpouring of prayers and support for my mom and me Wednesday and yesterday, in response to my fb status changes and texts, was very humbling. Even in the face of the adversity, I felt very blessed. It was comforting to take notice of the fact that, even as time wears down on my mother and me, we have a community to watch the clock with.