People who collect facts and keep informed, people who attend their council meetings and school meetings, people who vote for people who represents their values and their aspirations have learned the lessons in The Wizard of Oz.
Yet, every time we vote, the experience feels like a trip to Oz, a land of promises and magic convolutions, information fit into a tight script, symbols chosen to create a mood and a reaction.
All the facts and information we accumulated before going to Oz is forgotten. We are now scared children in search of magic beans.
We look for courage to face the unknown, brains to differentiate the good witch from the bad, and a heart that beats in concert with our loves and aspirations. We look for a Wizard to solve all of our problems with a quick magic trick, forgetting that he is just an illusion.
In the story, the Wizard is a regular man, a man who waves flags, magic wands and anything else, media savvy and technology rich, coining words and projecting himself bigger than life.
The story teaches us that we don't need Magicians, Mavericks, or Heroes. We need to pull together to fight evil, roll up our sleeves and provide a safe and healthy community for our children. And when we choose our leaders, we select men or women who are willing to do the same, helping us connect to our courage, our brains and our hearts. We choose people who have shown in their lives a willingness to be men or women connected with ordinary problems, at ordinary times, someone who, like us had the same challenges and the same obstacles to overcome.
Auntie Emm would be proud of us!
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