I find it interesting that so many in the San Diego political community seem to not understand the basic tenet: elections have consequences.
After the trouncing that the conservatives in this town took on Election Day, be it ballot measures or elected candidates, I would think that there would be some self reflection. I have not seen any. In fact, I have seen just the opposite.
As the song goes “Everybody loves a winner.” It was so apparent on Facebook when so many who were vehemently opposed to Bob Filner, or stood on the political sidelines during the election, were posting their picture with the new mayor.
While we must all come together to move this city forward, if you opposed Filner I don’t think you should be at the front of the line trying to shape policy, or worse, trying to get a position in the Filner administration. It all reminds me of the story The Little Red Hen.
In the tale, the little red hen finds a grain of wheat, and asks for help from the other farmyard animals to plant it. However, no animal will volunteer to help her.
At each further stage (harvest, milling the wheat into flour and baking the flour into bread), the hen again asks for help from the other animals, but again she gets no assistance.
Finally, the hen asks who will help her eat the bread. This time, all the animals eagerly volunteer. However, she declines their help, stating that no one aided her in making the bread. The little red hen eats the bread with her chicks, leaving none for anyone else.
The moral of this story is that those who show no willingness to contribute to an end product do not deserve to enjoy the end product: “If any man will not work, neither let him eat.”
Those in our community who worked against our new mayor should not think that they deserve to share the spoils. Had the election turned out differently, Filner supporters would be in Siberia today. I know it and you know it.
Yes, we must all come together to move our city forward. That does not mean that Filner should reward those who were against him in the LGBT community and beyond.
There are plenty of highly qualified people who can join the Filner administration who were there at the beginning of his campaign, those who volunteered countless hours and those who helped to frame issues with the voters.
These are the first people Filner should break bread with; just ask the little red hen. After all, elections have consequences.
STAMPP CORBIN
PUBLISHER
San Diego LGBT Weekly
