Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/703158
8 Oil Prophets J. Bart Fletcher, CAE P&CMA President By the time this publication reaches your desk our summer will be coming to a close. Kids will be preparing to head back to school, family vacations will be fond memories and most conversations, at least here in Alabama, will be turning to the upcoming college football season. All of this is pretty much "par for the course" here in the south. One thing that will make this fall much different is the November presidential elections. If you are anything like me, you have already heard enough to have made a decision. Never before have we seen two candidates who are so disliked by so many. Opinions are strong on both sides. Most of them negative toward the other side's candidate. Here in Alabama, our political landscape has been turned upside down by the conviction and subsequent removal from office of Speaker Mike Hubbard, the ongoing saga that is Governor Bentley's personal life and more upheaval surrounding Chief Justice Roy Moore. It's enough to have left even the most diehard politicos scratching their heads in disgust and disbelief. For people who use social media a lot (Facebook, etc…) you know that most every other post these days has something to do with politics or a specific politician. Why we think we'll change our "friend's" minds over who to support by re-posting things on Facebook is beyond me. And yet I am guilty of doing it myself. It's no wonder that many people are saying that they are just not going to participate in the process this year. "I am not voting for either of them," they say. "Our only choice is the lesser of two evils." But is this really the answer? Rarely in life do we get everything we want. We may live in a beautiful home, but if we had the chance we would change a room or two. We love our car, but wouldn't it be great if it just had a little more leg room in the back seat? My dinner was delicious but the potatoes were a tad undercooked. You get my drift. In reality, when working correctly, politics (not just our choices for president but politics in general) is the poster child for rarely getting 100% of what you want. When was the last time you cast a vote for anyone in any office that you agreed with 100% of the time? Our system works best when both sides of the aisle get a little bit of what they want, but also walk away thinking the other side got just a tad more. While compromise sounds easy, in reality it's very difficult. Why? Because we have allowed ourselves to become so strong in our opinions that there is little, if any, common ground. We simply cannot continue down this path and expect success. It hurts everyone when good people become so frustrated with the "system" that they cease to participate and yet I fear this is the path on which we are currently walking. Since coming to the association in 1989 I have been an active participant in the political process.While far from being an "insider," I do think I have a better than average knowledge of the process and the players. That being said let me offer this thought….. No matter how frustrated you have become, no matter how much you dislike one or both of the candidates in ANY given election, the worst choice is to stay at home and not participate. Do your homework and figure out which of the candidates in any given race reflects a larger percentage of your views than the other and then cast your vote for that person. To paraphrase the Rolling Stones, "You can't always get what you want, but hopefully you'll get what you need." Sincerely, J. Bart Fletcher, CAE P&CMA President PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE Don't Boo...Vote!