OPINION
Page 6 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
May 1, 2017
Volume 27 Number 9
May 1, 2017
ISSN: 1094-9453
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TALKING STORY IN ASIAN AMERICA
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Democracy here and now
emocracy means so many things.
Democracy means one thing in, say, the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,
while democracy demands a world of difference for
folks in the Federal Republic of Germany. Likewise
for us living here and now. Sure, we share the same
generous continent, but because we’re so many
kinds of Americans, our work is weaving our many
differences in ideals, in aches and appetites.
The rub of our differences is good for democracy.
The expectation of important differences then their
delightful blending, are essential to healthy
governance. According to international research on
this, on humankind’s never-ending experiment,
institutionalizing kindness and creativity are at the
core of our pretty little planet’s best democratic
unions.
Tests of democracy — loud protests, agitated
press, crazy elections — are regular and necessary.
Often provoking enormous anxieties. Take last
year’s U.S. national election. Candidates for the
presidency and for congress always grab at big
themes, competitors overstate differences so each
can cut dramatic distinctions between themselves
and their opponents. Lots of theater.
Candidates for local office are usually more
pragmatic. Local voters are too. Local democracy,
particularly non-political party seats, functions
best when campaigns offer practical problem-
solving skills. What’s more, local competitors and
voters alike know they still have to be neighbors
after election day. Civility is central. Community
building trumps ugly politics.
We are in one of those local election cycles right
now. Lots of school boards, water district and rec-
reation district boards, will soon be filled in middle
May, many with a lot of different, but all dutiful,
local volunteers. Portland Community College’s
Board of Directors is among these. And among the
candidates for a seat is Mohamed Alyajouri.
Why this means so much
Mohamed Alyajouri’s candidacy is evidence of our
D
“Local democracy functions
best when campaigns offer
practical problem-solving
skills. Civility is central.
Community building
trumps ugly politics.”
metro area’s political maturity. Our high level of
democracy. He’s a Corvallis High grad. He brings an
OSU public-health degree and a health admini-
stration master’s degree to whatever he does.
Mohamed’s day job is integrating public-health
services, improving family outcomes, and
sharpening delivery efficiencies all over Oregon,
including Washington and Multnomah counties.
Mohamed and Kamili, a Nike professional, raise
three bright and beautiful sons.
Mohamed’s supporters mention his skills, his
connectivity, and his record of community
commitment — the unavoidable glare of his name
notwithstanding. That’s two checked boxes on the
advanced democracy scorecard. Two big markers of
a vibrant, diverse community moving forward
together.
While his backers will surely set out the specific
skills he’ll bring to Portland Community College, if
you persist, each will just as certainly add their
concerns about how erosive last year’s shrill
national elections were to our most fundamental
notions of democracy. And how contrary all that is
to the community-building role of the PCC Board of
Directors.
Which brings us to where this essay began:
Democracy may mean many-many things, but
among our precious planet’s best democracies,
voters and leaders expect their many individual and
communal differences to be engaged in building a
bigger us. A better us. Our metropolitan area’s 2017
Special Election Voters’ Pamphlet is full of all that.
Opinions expressed in this newspaper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of this publication.
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