Opinion: True leaders wanted

The year and the novel 1984 was long ago — and George Orwell passed in January of 1950 if you can believe it.

Of his many eye-popping books that exposed harsh truths, Orwell’s Animal Farm was presented this weekend as a play at the SBHS theatre, in collaboration with HappySad Theatre Company.

In Orwell’s story, the farm animals overthrow their human master in pursuit of equality. The production brought sharp focus, however, to how some of the animals are gradually manipulated into accepting fewer rights as the pigs seize power. Ultimately the story shows how initially good intentions can be completely lost in the shuffle, ending in a tragic consequences.

How can we learn from this sad tale? We can see aspects of “losing our way” playing out everywhere — locally and globally. Should we simply accept this or work toward solutions by finding ways to better understand each other and to work together for mutual benefit?

It seems in Santa Barbara, that some of our electeds have made inflexible, politically motivated decisions at the expense of finding a middle ground. Like the animals in Animal Farm, they have over time, created and adjusted narratives to fit a subjective belief — and have failed to see how resolution and agreement could have been achieved through inclusion, clarity, and compromise.

The solution is not difficult but requires stopping, adjusting, and taking responsibility — not for ONLY the good things we do, but ALSO the mistakes. We all make mistakes.

Some candidates now running for high office in Santa Barbara have chosen to present themselves as flawless by overstating positive contributions, taking full credit where minimal or shared credit is due, and blaming others for missteps or mistakes.

Our leaders should be our mentors, having the highest standards of conduct. A slice of humble pie is in order! True leaders are honest, compassionate, and wise. We need the candidates who have all three of these characteristics.

IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY VOTED, before you do, please take a careful look at the candidates to know the ones — the TRUE LEADERS — who have made responsible financial decisions, who have been inclusive and listened to the entire community, and who have tried to work together with others on council to find compromises that help everyone.

Cassandra Ensberg, artist, FAIA architect, LEED AP
Santa Barbara

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