By Butch Freedman
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” -MLK Jr.
It’s easy to feel frustrated with the state of today’s political landscape. And tempting to want to turn your back on the whole lot of self-serving politicians, who often times appear to have no other goal in mind than self-aggrandizement. Governance has clearly turned dark in this age of trump crudity. The petty autocrat has opened the gates for every speck of sordid self-dealing, corruption, and daily bold-faced lies, and ushered in the death of decency. If you need an example (there are so many to choose from), think for a moment about the plan to live stream the execution of Nidal Hasan on December 3rd. Barbarism anybody? Only the Taliban and Iran allow public executions. The U.S. has not had one since 1936. Draw your own conclusions.
But despite this nightmare of an administration, there are still elected officials and aspiring politicians who are not muddied by today’s ugly climate. I contend that there are still decent men and women who have maintained an ability to speak truth, support the rights of all people, and defend democratic ideals by serving as elected officials. One of those people is Cyrus Javadi, who is running for State Representative in District 32 here on the North Coast.
I’ve been impressed with Dr. Javadi ever since hearing him speak at a house party in our little community. He’s clearly a straight shooter, who answered all questions in a forthright manner, without sugar coating or pandering. When he didn’t have a ready answer to a question, he was willing to admit it, and then ask for more information from the questioner. One very clear example of Javadi’s willingness to stand on the side of openness and ethical backbone is his decision to move from his long-time republican affiliation to align with the Democratic party. When asked about this transition, he told our group (of both D’s and R’s) that, among other issues, he could no longer support the policies of a party that did not support a woman’s right to choose. And recounted for us how his ideas and feelings had evolved to a place where his values no longer matched those of his former party. It was a brave move. And one that had consequences, both to his business, and his personal safety. There are some on the far right who saw such a move as traitorous, and expressed their disapproval with threats—and worse.
Even above Cyrus’s important moral stance, though, are his ideas for improving the life of the regular citizens of the North Coast. He’s focused on making sure there is affordable health care— and not just for the rich. He fights to support local industries (fishing, tourism, forestry) that have fallen on hard times under the ravages of trump tariffs, and high costs associated with the endless and foolish war in the Middle East. Javadi cares about people, not about party squabbles. And, from all that I’ve seen, maintains a positive and hopeful attitude—a daily challenge in the face of ever more attacks on personal freedoms from D.C.
I’m both encouraged and relieved that Cyrus Javadi (and others) are still willing and able to stand up for human decency and for the rights of the populace as framed in the constitution. “To speak truth to power,” as it were. He has my vote.
