The Wild, Wild Park -- Once the Political Dust Settles: Opinion

By Carla Black

PALOS PARK, IL — As former residents of Chicago and new residents of Palos Park, my family and I had no idea that small town politics could be so polarizing and cut-throat. Our town is like Mayberry, or so we thought. With a population of approximately 4,900 people, the political dissonance that is currently happening in Palos Park is quite concerning and repulsive. After the bamboozlement and a personal major disappointment of Mayor Lightfoot, I vowed to do a better job of “voter self-accountability” by being less emotional and more rational at the voting polls.

Both mayoral candidates Ronette McCarthy and Nicole Milovich-Walters each have a deeply-woven passion and commitment to public-service and the Palos Park community. I’ve met both of their families. Their husbands are supportive. Their children are kind and embody so much of their philanthropic spirit. At various events, I’ve observed their children with stars in their eyes as they watch their moms continue to carve out a space for all voices to be heard.

It’s true… EXPERIENCE MATTERS… VOICES MATTER… AND SO DOES GRACE. Through my own experiences, I’ve learned a lot about extending grace. Let’s be real… when you’ve spent most of your life playing “fairly in the sandbox;” when you get older, it becomes easier to quickly write people off. It doesn’t mean that it’s the right thing to do. Many of us have been exposed to the harder side of life and some ugly ways of our world, and extending grace can be hard as heck. I’m still learning. Just ask my husband.

As leaders and representatives, it’s critical for us to have a posture of goodwill toward the person who disagrees with us—even when we deem that they don’t deserve it. While I was not present at the meeting on February 27, I watched the video. I’m sorry that all of it happened. I’m sorry for all of those who felt violated and disrespected. I can empathize—feeling unseen and unheard is a hard pill to swallow; especially when it’s done by those who are intended to advocate and represent the “greater good.” While I may not have necessarily handled it the way in which Commissioner Reed did; I’m confident that most of us may never know the full scope of why he chose to respond the way in which he did. He could very well have his reasons.

I didn’t have to be physically present to “read the room.” In the video, there was clearly some underlining tension, which leads me to speculate that there may have been some occurrences that happened behind-the-scenes and in the past that the residents are clueless about. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the residents are being sheltered from the truth or that the village is hiding something from us. It could very well mean that the village is doing its part to maintain the integrity of the community and keep it from being a small town “Housewives of Palos Park” reality show. Just like we don’t want guests who come to our home to see our kitchen junk drawer, the village is doing its part to keep the residents from any behind-the-scenes madness.

Sure — I was a little disappointed to see Commissioner Reed’s reaction; however, I don’t see his behavior as aggressive or indicative of an abuse of power. I also don’t think that his behavior symbolizes the collective voice of the council. The majority of residents “love” our community. It’s quite challenging to love a community — the way that we do—when you have failed leadership. Isn’t it?

Commissioner Reed is a human being who had a lapse of judgement. At some point, each of us has had a lapse in judgement. Our children, our educators, our leaders, our heroes, our parents, etc… have ALL had a lapse in judgement. As new mayor, Milovich-Walters or McCarthy will also have moments where they will have a lapse in judgement — it comes with the territory. Regardless of experience, it will be a learning curve for all. I hope that our community will extend grace to them too. It’s easy to build and rely on narratives when we’re only seeing what’s right in front of us; however, the challenge is to understand that we ultimately have the power to chose one thought over the other. THIS is ultimately the type of leader that Palos Park needs. One who is gracefully focused on the community’s needs, goals, and who will fearlessly travel the road to their “destination,” but won’t stop to throw stones at every dog that barks.

As a Palos Park resident, I hope that more grace will be extended these next seven days. I hope that each candidates’ focus will remain on the collective needs of our community versus the needs of their collective supporters. Let’s face it, all supporters aren’t “supporters”.

I recently posed a question to McCarthy expressing my concern regarding the aftermath of this political storm. I have yet to hear back from her, but I get it; she’s busy running a race. When the political dust finally settles, how will everyone get beyond the emotion and create the synergy to get back to doing the very best work for our community? At the debate a couple of weeks ago, McCarthy mentioned that the village council will remain in their positions. This is the very same council who she has publicly deemed as incompetent and disrespectful. As a matter of fact, in one of her recent social media posts, she implied that the council should resign from their positions. Has this been a desire all along?

As leaders, we are only as good as our team. Undoubtedly, a mayor’s job cannot be done alone. If McCarthy becomes mayor, she will need the council as much as they will need her. It’s concerning that I haven’t heard her express one positive thing about the council, but once the political dust settles; they will all need to play on the same team. She’s been a proud Palos Park resident for quite some time and has shared great insights about her desires to continue to build positive relationships with the community and residents. How is she going to get over this hurdle to bridge the gap with her own council members—the other integral part of our community’s whole? While our election is considered “non-partisan,” anyone who understands politics knows what happens when the President and Senate don’t see eye-to-eye. Nothing gets done. What will happen with our own mayor and council?

If McCarthy becomes mayor, what will progression look like in terms of her relationship with the very same council who she has publicly denounced? Under her leadership, how will McCarthy be able to fairly execute, reinstate trust, encourage collaboration, and get things accomplished for our community if she doesn’t have camaraderie with our own village council? They, too, have a deeply-woven passion for our community. I would question their loyalty if they jumped ship; especially right now when we truly need them most.

While not impossible, this surely will be a tough hill to climb. The naked truth — the whole will always be greater than the sum of its parts.