I believe one of the toughest things to do in our society today is telling people truths that they already know but don’t want to admit. I don’t understand it and I can’t explain it. You’d think that when you tell people what you discover about the government all of you pay to work for you, it would be a no-brainer for people to see it, tell others, and work together to get better representation for the community who are also trustworthy managers.
However, as I’ve learned by experience, and it seems others are as well, many people will agree that this corruption and dysfunction exists. They’ll probably gossip with their family and friends, complain that things should change, but that’s where their involvement stops. If they take any step further, it’s to criticize and attempt to silence the one or two people who have the courage and moral integrity to speak out in a way where it actually serves a purpose and makes a difference.
This is where Judd Schomp from Bennett County shines despite the criticism from some of those in his community towards him for exposing the corruption in their local government. Why do they criticize him and not show up holding their elected officials accountable for their failure? I have no idea. However, this seems to be typical behavior for many people throughout our communities, state and country.
Even then, Judd takes the time to list out the county commission’s spending decisions, among other questionable decisions they make, and doesn’t back down when the criticism starts rolling in from fellow taxpayers. He’s involved, engaged, vocal, and doing whatever he can to inform his fellow taxpayers of what’s happening while also running for local government positions himself in order to try to slow down this hemorrhaging of spending and corruption that he constantly witnesses.
Being the “tip of the spear” is far from easy. I guess that’s why it takes people with a special kind of grit to do it since being criticized and looked down upon for exposing corruption, and choosing to keep fighting anyway, isn’t something a lot of people can do, or at least start to do without a lot of support for them.
