Letter to the Editor
It's time to reclaim the "local" in local politics.
National Figures Won’t Save Us, We the People, Can
The December 7th article from the Editor, It’s Time to Ditch Demagoguery and Reclaim Local Politics, provides a timely and structured review of the challenges our local governments face in confronting national political pressures. It arrives just after elections, before new members take their seats — often referred to as the lame-duck period — which is the best opportunity to take note of the state of the community.
Mr. Davis uses an apt, yet unintentionally saddening comparison between our political culture and that of the Civil War era. In both periods, although for extremely different reasons, local and state communities felt attacked by their fellow Americans and by their own governments. His reflection on how later generations manufactured a simplified image of Lincoln — the “Great Liberator” — is especially relevant. Those historical distortions should remind us how easily a nation hungers for a single savior, even when the real work was done by countless local actors, communities, and everyday citizens.
Recognizing that complexity matters. When we elevate any national figure into a flawless champion, we create the dangerous expectation that a similar figure today will descend to resolve our local tensions. But no national actor — not Lincoln, not any modern demagogue or anti-demagogue — can repair the very local fractures in our schools, our councils, and our neighborhoods.
A biopsy of our communities’ issues is nothing if there is no action behind it. Simply being aware of these issues is nothing if there is no community pressure to move forward toward a resolution. Diagnosing the problem is not the same as reclaiming control over it. The first step is coming together as a community with the purpose of taking back these nationalized issues.
In generations past, there were robust local organizations and leagues formed with the fundamental motivation of addressing the issues they came together to solve — not whatever a national demagogue insisted should matter. When a national figure is telling you what is wrong in your community, you are ceding control of that community to their whims. And when local officials orient their decisions toward national talking points instead of practical local needs, the community loses twice: once to misinformation, and again to misplaced priorities.
Today, we increasingly see the surrendering of local issues to the national government. This is not due to a genuine desire to federalize problems, but to a deliberate campaign to misinform the public and redirect attention. When we look to the President or Congress to solve issues our school board can solve, we are enabling those institutions to do so — and taking power from our own communities.
So, what is the solution? Community. Unplugging from the near-constant stream of national drama and engaging your neighbors directly to solve the issues that affect our region. In Fredericksburg — a region steeped in Civil War history and national narratives projected upon it — this local grounding is even more essential. We know better than most how national conflict can overshadow local reality. In our modern world fractured by internet connections, this task is understandably daunting, but there are many organizations in our area focused on driving local values, education, and civic participation without ties to any political party.
My recommendation, although I am slightly biased, is the League of Women Voters of Fredericksburg. We are a local, nonpartisan organization undergoing a complete revitalization, centered on empowering residents right here, not in Richmond, not in Washington. Our revitalization includes new leadership, new member opportunities, new community engagement, and a sharper focus on local issues. Our mission is straightforward: to create a space where any person, regardless of party affiliation, can bring their concerns, observations, and hopes for Fredericksburg and collaborate with neighbors to address them.
Our League is breaking the mold and becoming an organization that is member-driven and member focused. We refuse to behave like political entities that only surface at election time or chase national narratives while ignoring the community beneath them. We are more than an organization that appears a month before an election to remind you to vote. We are a community of individuals showing up for one another year-round.
If Fredericksburg is to reclaim its local politics from national demagoguery, it will be because its residents chose to do the work together. No national figure can save us. But we, the people who live here, absolutely can.
Theodore Blackwell, President LWV Fredericksburg Area
Serving the City of Fredericksburg and Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania & Stafford Counties
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