What should people do when their government is not working for them but against them? Unfortunately, we see this throughout our society.
Consider the response to Hurricane Katrina in the South.
Or the low-income families of our cities who live in impoverished conditions because not enough subsidized government housing is available to accommodate them.
Or the rapid rise in the cost of living and property taxes, especially in the inner city, that have people thinking twice about whether or not they will be city residents for much longer.
Or the cries for the reform of the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services after 7-year-old Faheem Williams was found dead in the basement of his caregiver’s home in Newark.
Our government and our people, with their voting power, have contributed to the formation of these problems. Yet the general public has greatly underestimated the power of their vote. Some people vote and do not even know who they are voting for. They go to the polls and make uneducated decisions just by choosing a familiar name or picking eeny, meeny, miney, mo.
As astonishing as it may sound, it does happen. It was incredible to see that in November 2005, Donald Tucker won reelection to the New Jersey State Assembly even though he was deceased. People must ensure that the vote they are making is an educated one.
Others choose not to bother with voting. They feel that their one vote won’t make a difference. And, to be quite honest, one vote probably won’t do much in an election. But, there are thousands of potential voters who feel that way. And thousands of votes do make a difference.
Consider that council meetings are opened up with a prayer. It is hoped, for the sake of those who are affected by the decisions made at those meetings, that the prayer is more than a routine act that allows the words to dissipate in the air. It is hoped that council members wholeheartedly ask God to guide them as they carry out those meetings.
Or, on the other hand, do they invite God to come in just to watch them as they themselves run the meetings and make the decisions? It’s one thing to invite God as a spectator; it’s another to listen to what He has to say. Is there anyone keeping Newark’s foundation intact—a city that was originally founded by God-fearing individuals who sought God’s will to make the right decisions for the good of the people they governed?
Unfortunately, when there is a desperate need for change or intervention and leaders cannot find the solution in man, they have no choice but to look for God. To turn this city around and claim the credit for revitalizing the “Renaissance City,” one must not only be a spirit-driven individual but also be prepared as a strategist and be logical.
Legislators should possess enough humility to recognize that Newark is much too complicated a challenge to handle on their own. Who better to consult than the God who knows all things, including the intimate details of how to revitalize Newark and give it true meaning as the Renaissance City?
Do our leaders realize that their responsibility is much more than representing their political parties? They must ensure that moral and ethical decisions are made and followed through for the good of the people they represent. Do they realize that their election is not only for them to represent the people, but also to use the opportunity to be an ambassador of the most high God? Leaders are given a chance to glorify their God. The chance is embraced by the choices they make. And the choices will determine the city’s destiny.
Ultimately, our city’s future lies within the vote of its residents. And although the leaders get the blame, the people vote them in.
Celines Garcia, born and raised in Newark, is a chemist. She is an active member of Iglesia Fuente de Vida (Fountain of Life Church) in North Newark.
