Editor:
John Weston’s opening sentence that “it’s out of fashion to refer to locker room conversations after Donald Trump equated them to ballads of sexual assault” (“Leadership and what it’s all about,” Coast Reporter, Jan. 5) is a strange choice of words to start an essay that is an attempt to inspire new potential leaders in public office. “Ballads of sexual assault?” Perhaps he was trying to be poetic, but at the expense of anyone for whom sexual assault is a serious issue, one has to wonder if it was worth it. Weston goes on to advise that any potential candidate running for office should be ready to expect “pressure on your marriage and on your role as a parent.” That sounds like the realities of life and work for everyone I know. This was followed by a Shakespearian quote, referring to political life: “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” While I’m sure political office has its challenges, he may want to consider the housing crisis on the Sunshine Coast as an example of heads that lie uneasily before using such a bold quote. He goes on to profoundly assert that it “may be particularly complicated when non-politicians consider seeking public office.”
The curtain is finally removed as we see in fact that the whole time, this submitted opinion piece was leading to suggesting that values one might consider looking for in a leader can be found in – wait for it – his book, On! Achieving Excellence in Public Life.
Ironically, and gratefully, one only had to turn the next page in the paper to read a story of local activist Chris Hergesheimer organizing, promoting and presenting a community event outlining 75 ways we can make our community better. That’s real leadership in action, and the kind that out of necessity moves too fast to wear a crown.
Steve Wright, Sechelt
