The essays, analyses and opinions presented as Community Voices express the views of their authors on topics of interest and importance to the community and are not intended to represent the views of the Salish current.
Comment: America is a land of diverse tribes, ethnicities, and flavors, and we would do well to explore the principles that each of them holds dear.
As an addendum to last week’s Jeff Margolis story, “Personal Encounters at Voter Events in the South Fork Valley”:
In the mid-’80s, when I was director of Concerned Christian Citizens here in Whatcom County, I was visited one day by this scruffy, bearded Jewish man who, as I recall, wanted to check out this company with an office in Lynden to see what they were capable of. We shared our stories and soon it became clear how much we had in common. How could this be – his roots are in New York City and mine are on a dairy farm in Lynden?
Well, we both went to school in the 60’s, Jeff at Michigan State and I at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. With all the excitement surrounding Vietnam, civil rights, and more, it was a great time to be a college student. I’m sure we disagreed on many points, but a tone of respect quickly emerged in our conversation. Respect is a deep concept that is in short supply in our polarized nation. Respect enables!
This allowed Jeff to get to know this Christian and the somewhat peculiar organization he represented. He learned that the CCC operated on principles rooted in Scripture that aimed at justice. Jeff learned about justice by studying Plato. We both saw justice as the primary function of government. And he lived a life obscure from Van Zandt, championing just causes in his community and using the counter at Everybody’s Store to ask questions and offer his thoughts on the issue at hand. Always respectfully, I’m sure.
All of this leads me to use Jeff as an example of what we so desperately need in our community and our country, which is “principled pluralism.” It is a concept and a phrase that needs more understanding and use. We must recognize the pluralistic nature of America – we are a people of all kinds of tribes, ethnicities, and flavors, and we would do well to explore the principles that are dear to them. Of course, far too much politics is purely self-interest or national interest, which does little to advance the principles of justice.
Jeff Margolis is an advocate for the common good in his community, and while he probably doesn’t use that vocabulary, he is actually a man of principle who understands the pluralistic nature of his community and country. The article about Jeff mentioned above is another example of his interest in the upcoming Charter Review Commission, which is elected every 10 years to review the charter (or constitution) that governs Whatcom County.
Review of the district statute
All these thoughts about Jeff prompted me to actually call him after decades of separation. I found his phone number and an hour and 20 minutes later, we two old warhorses came away from each other as we had started, so different from each other, battered and scarred by the pains of life, both having lost their wives but still fighting to make the world a better place and seek justice, even in the darkness of the Charter Review Commission.
Jeff had remembered that I was on the Commission. In fact, I was on it twice, first in 1985 and again in 1995. In 1995, we amended the preamble with the changes underlined below:
“We, the citizens of Whatcom County, appreciate the many wonders of our unique environment and recognize that the power and duty to govern and protect this region rests in the hands of its people. In order to have a government that promotes justice, inspires confidence and encourages responsibility, we adopt this Charter as the foundation of our government. (Amended by referendum 1995.)”
Jeff seemed to like these changes and went on to note that the Charter Review Commission was a good body to find new candidates for County Council or the State Legislature. We noted Marge Laidlaw, Georgia Gardner, Ben Elenbaas, Ken Bell and there were certainly more.
Margolis also expressed hope that the commission will consider adopting ranked-choice voting, a voting system that allows voters to choose multiple candidates in order of preference rather than just voting for who they think should win. (A further description may come as the commission votes on the issues to consider.)
With that, I would like to say that I am honored that Jeff Margolis walked into my office 40 years ago. He is a man who grapples with the concept of justice, who does not pursue his own selfish interests, but seeks to advance justice according to the principles by which he lives. May his number multiply!
— By Ron Polinder
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