Opinion submitted by Azzi Shirazi, candidate for Reno mayor
As voters we feel an emotional pull for elected officials. So often we forget, they are human after all.
Politicians have gotten a bad reputation as deceitful, selfish, and downright greedy.
But what about the ones who run for office and keep their word? What about the officials who enjoy making citizens happy? Exercising forgiveness is a weak muscle in the human brain. We often overreact than understand.
As is routine in daily life to hold people accountable for their actions we hold politicians to the same standards. Right? Well, not always. We like to believe they are much better than the average human. Either they are smarter or courageous or have good ideas.
However, politicians and the average person have more in common than is noted. Both have jobs, both care about the city they live in, and yes both feel the heat called responsibility.
So why do we hold politicians to a higher standard above ourselves? Another weak muscle in the brain is called self-awareness. We rarely think of our own actions and thoughts under a microscope.
Yet, if a politician makes a mistake then we are quick on the draw to send bullets. Politicians have to deal with daily scrutiny and judgement beyond what an average person is dealt.
How do you think life would be if every morning you awoke to find a post it on your forehead demanding explanations for yesterday’s actions? Simply put, you can’t always logically explain your actions.
Sometimes we are human and we find it debilitating to neglect logic. We love to rationalize rather than emotionally feel our decisions. We love to make arguments than to say, I don’t know why.
My friends, forgiveness and self awareness will take us much farther than scrutiny and judgment. If elected your mayor, I would take responsibility for my actions and mistakes. I would practice forgiveness to others and self awareness to continuously improve. I promise I would not let anyone regret their vote.
