Over the past handful of months (maybe a year or two even) there have been a few folks showing up to speak in front of Edmond City Council. They call themselves “We The People.” It was crazy the first few times I listened to what they had to say but now? Wild.
“CONCLUSION: The regime is a political progressive WOKE advocating and embracing your radical ideology all without consent and knowledge of the citizens you are supposed to represent. This is Council TYRANNY.”
We The People, Position Paper submitted to City Council as quoted in a Letter to the Editor by former Mayor Randel Shadid
You want to know the truth? I have no idea what they are even upset about or what they are asking for other than for Council to excuse themselves from their roles as City leaders (and I’m not entirely certain what they want to happen after that.) I have heard them go against Edmond’s COVID mask mandate (which I understand as a side during that time that lots of folks were taking) to yelling at Council for hiring a new City Manager and paying him a salary competitive with like communities.
Here is the deal…
I’m 100% in when it comes to Edmond (especially Downtown Edmond) and stay as involved as I can but meetings are becoming so noisy with this crazy banter that they are hard to watch.
This Council has done remarkable things while in term and I’ve had the opportunity to work with the majority of them but the treatment I’ve seen has been off the charts.
This is city government. As local and touchable as it gets and one of the only forms of government that a community member can actually help shape. This isn’t about party or national headlines. It’s about Main Street (well, Broadway in our case) and community and what we how we want our city to look and feel. It’s our method for shaping the community for our kids.
I’ve said this 1,ooo,000 times and I’ll keep saying it: Collaboration always wins.
Always.
It is exhausting to hear Edmond residents trash talk our city leaders from the sidelines. Why not join the conversation? Be a part of things? Stop all of this “they did this and they did that” and start asking how “WE” move forward.
Together.
Isn’t that what this should be all about? I am not asking you to jump into State and Federal politics. I’m asking you to come to the table in your neighborhood and work towards a better Edmond.
We won’t all agree on everything. That’s ok. That’s expected. That is how it should be. BUT, if we do not work together, no one will win and that isn’t ok. We all have the ability and right to speak freely together and we should. We also should have the decency for conversation and dialogue over this crazy banter that we have been hearing for months now.
AND – I’d love to hear what has been accomplished through this one way arsenal of tangle words and rhetoric?
We have MUCH bigger things to worry about, friends.
How are we going to move people safely through our city?
How are we going to create housing so all have a chance to live in Edmond?
How are we going to support folks that don’t have a place to call home?
How do we protect our environment while promoting property and smart devleopment?
How do we continue to build on Downtown Edmond?
What is our plan for managing growth at I-35 and Covel?
What is the future of Arcadia Lake?
I can go on FOR HOURS!
It is our time to move past this and truly step up to the plate for our community. Enough already with the banter and ridiculous accusations and finger pointing towards our Council.
These 5 folks are working full time jobs on behalf of our City and – I can assure you – is not something many are willing to do. We will have 2 open seats next Council session. Are you going to step up?
WE ARE EDMOND.
It isn’t about the Mayor or Council. It is about US and how we work together to shape the future of this community.
While you are there, check out this piece from Publisher Ray Hibbard about the destruction of a $19,000 art installation in Edmond.