Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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THIS WEEK WITH MARGARET This, That and the Other by MARGARET DICKSON Fayetteville and other municipalities across and children? Do they have enough education North Carolina have just elected mayors and to understand complicated issues? Do they members of town councils, and there is much do more than just tow their political party's anticipation about what is to come. Wouldline? Can you trust him or her? Do you be legislators and other hopefuls are already want him or her making decisions that affect gearing up for next year's general election. At the way you and your family live, work, and stake are hundreds of local offices, legislative prosper? Would you want him or her as your seats, as well as the United States Senate seat friend? now held by Kay Hagan of Greensboro. If red flags pop up to questions like these, It is going to be a long and challenging year think carefully. for candidates and voters alike. ******************** We all know what we think of elected News and Observer columnist Barry Saunders officials nowadays, which according to asked an interesting question recently. virtually every poll I see, is not much. Why is it that television reporters — Ironically, though, the same voters who particularly those from somewhere outside the tell pollsters they would like to "throw all South — seem to zero in on the least articulate the bums out" of Congress and General person they can find to address whatever Assemblies will also say their own member is the issue of the moment or event at hand generally doing OK. might be? Saunders says a reader raised that Go figure. question with him in a form he expressed this A Washington Post blog caught my attention way. "They'll often find some fat woman in a recently, because it approaches the issue from muumuu with rollers in her head standing in the opposite perspective. The Monkey Cage, front of her trailer and for whom subject and written by Larry Bartels and named after this verb have never met." quotation by H.L. Mencken —"Democracy is Our quintessential American holiday observance, Thanksgiving, is upon us. Saunders goes on to relate an interview the art of running the circus from the monkey that was painful — or should have been — to cage"—ponders not what we think of our everyone in North Carolina. This one occurred elected officials but what they think of us! between a national cable outlet and a good-old-boy in western North Carolina Again, the answer may be not much. who volunteered that "'so many people'" in President Obama's administration Blogger Bartels references a study by David Broockman and Christopher are part of the Muslim Brotherhood, they had '1,000 of their people come to Skovron at the University of California at Berkeley, which asked incumbent the East Lawn for a prayer session.'" state legislators what they think about their constituents. Having been one of Really? those folks, their responses naturally caught my eye. Uneducated and inexperienced people, bigots and all sorts of folks on the Generally speaking, legislators believe that voters do not know whom fringe exist everywhere. We all know them and in many families we may love to blame when something goes wrong in government, giving government them individually. the license to do what it wants. Office holders believe that voters base But they are not the face of the South in 2013, and I — as a Tar Heel born their choices on recent events, not a record of voting, and less than half of and bred, join Barry Saunders' reader in resenting the gross characterization. legislators believe that voters choose candidates based on their stands on ******************** issues. Says Bartels, "…the politicians were considerably less impressed by Our quintessential American holiday observance, Thanksgiving, is upon us. the constraints of electoral accountability — and, I would argue, considerably It is special to me because it brings my extended family together, most of more realistic in their assessments—than their constituents were." them toting their specialty dishes. The weather is usually cold — or at least Sadly, my experience was much like that as well. cool in this era of global warming, so we are inside together. I am looking We live in complex and conflicting times, and government is big and forward to baking one of my traditional contributions to the family complicated. No one, from the President to legislators to city council feast. Mostly, I anticipate the chance to see family members and members, can know and understand it all, and voters who are busy with the people my father called "connections." their own lives certainly cannot. I wish you and those you love a warm, MARGARET DICKSON, Contributing Writer, COMMENTS? That is why I try to learn as much about candidates as I can. wonderful, thoughtful, and grateful Editor@upandcomingweekly.com. Is he or she honest in business dealings? Are they good to their spouses Thanksgiving. Gallery 208 presents Your Community Handbook VOLUME 16 FEBRUARY 9-15, ISSUE 06 News, Views, Arts and Entertainment. Fayetteville's Community Newspaper providing useful information for you every week. 2011 The Works of Martha Sisk Thank you to the sponsors of our opening reception Raynor Law Firm WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM www.upandcomingweekly.com ted Duck Derby Sla eville The Night They Invented Champagne Entertains Focus On Fayett INSIDE da UP te ove I Lntown Dow Up Bring Your Love Downtown In CU DATd si M EeIN M BE SIDE AT R TE LA RS ND Laurel Valley Water New Deli Bob & Sheree's Beer & Wine Shop e Fayettevillp Quacks U 910.484.6200 NOVEMBER 20-26, 2013 UCW 5