We Really Need to Pay Attention to the Issues at Hand

By: Robert Osburn, Mountaineer News Contributor

Posted: February 26, 2020 | 07:40 EST

As we edge closer to local city elections, this by far is one of the most important elections in the city’s history. When I first ran for City Council, there were five Candidates and, believe it or not, we all got along. We talked about our differences and spent time together outside of politics and were actually friends.

Today however, politics has changed and not for the better. In a world where people just believe blindly what they see on Facebook just because it is from a “Friend” we need to really pay attention to the issues at hand. This election will determine the cities future for many years to come.

Tax increases, social issues, equality issues, our cities moral compass, economic issues, will all be on the agenda in the next few years and in the hands of those we elect. Do you want our city and county to become one giant Hemp farm? Do you want our city and county to discriminate against the LGBTQ community or subdue religion? Do you want to continue letting outside groups come into our city to make policy? These are all thing that need considered when looking at each individual candidate.

Recently in our little humble city, a Muslim filed PRE-candidacy papers for election and was demolished by several keyboard warriors who believed a lot of manipulated truth from certain “News” sites. A little research would tell you that most of what was said was not the truth at all, but what if this was a “Christian” or an “LGBTQ” person who was torn down like that? Would we then stand up and say “Hey, this is not right”?

As a small town community, we don’t all have to agree with each other. We can have disagreements and we can believe differently, but why can we just lift each other up in love. Personally, I don’t have to agree with someone to be their friend. We can sit down and talk about our differences and then get up and shake hands. We can sit down over a cup of coffee and find a solution to our disagreements.

So I encourage EVERYONE to actually sit down with the candidates and ask them the tough questions. Hear their answer personally and don’t just believe someone else’s version of the truth. It’s time that we as citizens, research for ourselves so that we can ALL make the best decision for our small town. It is time for Buckhannon to simply lift people up in LOVE.