El Paso has come onto a crossroads that bears serious contemplation. There is a glaring need for reform of our political institutions. But this cannot occur without reform of the political culture, which can only be accomplished with the 4Cs - Civics, Civility, Cooperation and Coherence.
Civics is essential. As Americans we must constantly nourish and nurture the precepts that guide our form of government. Commitment to democratic constitutional governance requires constant reinforcement. It is incumbent upon us all to promote civics so that new generations can maintain the essential passion necessary to safeguard the American system and way of life more broadly defined.
Good people recoil in horror at the prospect of running for office. Why? Because all sense of propriety has vanished from the arena of political discourse. Private lives are investigated and exposed with the glee of a rapist violating a victim. Character is assassinated and reputations maligned in the interest of scoring the necessary damage to ensure a victory for this or another candidate or political interest.
Civility must return to public discourse. It is not enough to be superficially polite, it is necessary to approach issues critically and avail oneself of the instruments of fair play, objective investigation of facts and clarification rather than obfuscation.
Aligning competitive self-interest with the interests of the society as a whole leads inexorably to cooperation. As residents of El Paso, cooperation is necessary to address the myriad problems our community faces. In any neighborhood one visits, there are serious problems of health, crime, drugs, addiction and violence. Yet, the civic body pretends that these things are somehow foreign, distant and irrelevant to the petty political disagreements of the day. The problem is so endemic that elected officials have become expert at hiding behind facades of moral virtue while ignoring or, worse, participating in corrupt practices. Society has abandoned honesty as part of the dialogue in civic participation while another segment has adopted brutal, vulgar voyeurism as a standard tool of political discourse.
Civics, Civility and Cooperation are three cornerstones necessary to overcome the challenges facing the community. But even if we accomplish broader civic participation and succeed in civilizing the tone of public discourse and gain the cooperation of various interest groups and individuals, there remains one other challenge - Coherence.
Whatever goals are set by the community can not be accomplished unless the community is willing to bring policy coherence to the implementation of those goals. That coherence can only be achieved through two commitments: inclusiveness and validation.
No one, who is a member of the civic body, can be excluded in the political process. Though some may find one or another belief objectionable, all citizens must be included in the deliberative process. Through respecting all sectors of the community, bringing them together cooperatively and ensuring that their voice is heard, our community and society as a whole can begin to evolve its greatest potential.
Thus, the four cornerstones of reform - Civics, Civility, Cooperation and Coherence are in themselves sufficient to lay a new foundation for El Paso's future. It takes only for each and every citizen to reflect and resolve to participate in their community. But such resolve must come with an awareness of place in the civic body, with courtesy and civility in public discourse, with a willingness to cooperate with others and an open mind to listen and include others that may be different.