Under the Sun
When voting, nothing
ventured, nothing gainedPEOPLE in Hawaii have a tendency to keep their opinions or their thoughts to themselves. The "no say nothing" syndrome is kind of like what Thumper in "Bambi" attributes to an adage of his mother's that goes "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."
In some situations, that's good advice. If a criticism or commentary won't be accepted as constructive or with good grace, or if its offering will be hurtful, it may be better to zip your lip. But sometimes not saying anything will result in continuation of an unpleasant condition. It also may lead to misunderstanding of whether something is acceptable.
Politicians are masters of "no say nothing." Oh, they talk a lot about "action agendas" and "new beginnings," but convey little of substance. Getting specific may provoke dissent or opposition, so they speak in generalities. That's why voters are inundated with sweet nothings, like "I want to put a qualified teacher in every classroom," or "Education is key to the future of our children," or "We need leaders who can achieve goals."
Who could disagree with any of these banalities? Who would favor an unskilled person teaching or a boss who can't get anything done? The problem is that politicians generally have a low opinion of the voting public. Their perception is that we have short attention spans, so they send snippets our way. They treat us as if we lack the intelligence or sense to look beyond the slogans and rhetoric and feed us marshmallows when we need whole-wheat bread.
Some of that is justified because we often don't pay enough attention to what lawmakers and government leaders are doing until after the fact. When van cams were trained on drivers earlier this year, people were outraged and surprised even though the program had been authorized by the state Legislature in 1998. Motorists had plenty to say about it when they were busted doing 70 mph in a 55 mph zone, but most were unaware that the Department of Transportation's misguided effort to curb speeding was coming down the pike. We didn't take heed, so van cams were ultimately our fault.
We're all busy with the tasks of life. Just getting through the day can take all of our energy and after putting in eight hours on the job, hitting Zippy's for dinner and checking the kids' homework, it is difficult to build up enough steam to go to the school cafeteria for a candidates' forum. Rather than watching discussions and debates on Olelo, we tune in to "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" for a dose of entertainment. Instead of reading election guides to learn where candidates stand on issues, we surf the Net or play video games.
It is not uncommon to hear people declare that politicians are a bunch of crooks who don't care what voters want, that one is like the other and that a person's vote doesn't count. There's no doubt that some in public office conduct themselves unethically, but there are many who sincerely work hard to do what they think is best for the community.
Politics isn't for the thin of skin or the meek. Maneuvering through thickets of laws and regulations governing a campaign is just the initial challenge for new candidates. If elected, office-holders then must deal with a host of responsibilities to satisfy constituents while constant public scrutiny hovers over them.
Being a good citizen takes effort, too. It requires asking questions and demanding answers. It requires saying something.
On Saturday, we have a chance to do that. The primary election is when we winnow the number of candidates who want to be our leaders. Voting will involve just a small part of the weekend, probably less time than it takes to do a load of laundry or get through the checkout line at the supermarket. It is an opportunity to make yourself heard. Otherwise, you stay mute, you no say nothing.
Cynthia Oi has been on the staff of the Star-Bulletin for 25 years.
She can be reached at: coi@starbulletin.com.
