Skokie Vision 15

Skokie Vision #15: The prevailing political wisdom these days is that voters are influenced more by how they feel about their everyday lives than by "laundry lists" of public policies. Fear of losing whatever one has is without question a powerful driver; and by definition, conservatives are experts at wielding this worldview to their advantage, as we saw in the presidential election.

But in my experience, people are also animated by a claim on our government to be listened to and respected for who we are and what we bring to the table, not tossed aside like yesterday's garbage or treated as "Other."

When I read this Skokie resident's vision, I see the through-line behind the bullet points. This resident wishes to live in a Skokie that trusts its own people -- all its people -- to make the best decisions, and a Skokie that honors and protects our land as if it were ourselves, as Native American traditions hold. I am buoyed by my faith in others. Together in Skokie, we won three electoral reform referendums in 2022 because that vision is broadly shared. "Feeling" is hope.