I Am the People, the Mob

“I believe the only purpose of politics is to change people’s lives!”

 – Vince DelaRosa

Oneida, WI - In the past it was reported out that a member of the Oneida Business Committee (OBC) called the General Tribal Council (GTC) a “MOB.” This specifically occurred after the Silas petition meeting last year. Maybe the OBC member can stand up and explain why they would call the GTC a mob?

The equivalent of calling the GTC a mob is like telling your boss to leave you alone. When a leader calls the people a mob they are telling their boss, the GTC, “We will do things our way and your voice does not matter.” In this context, I wanted to share a video poem (contained below) on the idea of the mob. The poem being read was written by Carl Sandburg who is a renowned poet. Think about what is being transmitted (the message) in the video.

When the GTC gathers, we are far from a mob. We are the governing body of this nation that can reduce the OBC to a nullity! Today it seems like we (the GTC) are the only ones that can bring any sanity or commonsense approaches to politics around here. The GTC is the body politic which seems to get things done. The GTC stops bad policy and we keep the train on the tracks, we are not a mob! The term mob is a derogatory term which has no place here.

In the future I will release and expanded article on the concept of the mob or the people leading this nation from their GTC chairs. I will say in closing, politics at the OBC level has to change. “I believe the only purpose of politics is to change people’s lives,” that is the only reason why elected officials serve, to help foster change in the lives of the people.  

“When your leaders will not listen to the voice of the people, the people must then advance their own causes and agendas, and help themselves.” Maybe that is the only calling of the GTC, but to me, that is a worthy calling.