Like It Or Not, The Iron County School Board Did Its Job

Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgement; and he betrays you instead of serving you if he sacrifices it to your opinion.              Edmund Burke 

In case you have been off planet for the last little bit you may have missed the news that came out this week from the Iron County School Board. In a press release the school district made the following statement. 

At the Board of Education meeting held April 23, four of seven board members voted to keep the Cedar High School name and mascot as it currently stands. Board members Jeff Corry, Dave Staheli and Stephanie Hill voted against the motion. 

In a nutshell, that means Cedar High will continue with the mascot name of the Reds, and a return to the Redmen mascot name is off the table, at least for the immediate future. In making that decision, the school board did what it was supposed to do. 

Now, before you start leaping to incorrect assumptions that I am all on board with the outcome of the vote, that is not the case at all. What I am saying is that it was the school board's responsibility, even duty, to have the vote, and make a decision. That's how representative government works. 

In a representative society, the relationship between a representative and their constituents is not merely transactional but deeply rooted in trust and responsibility. The Edmund Burke quote underscores the essence of this relationship, emphasizing that a representative's duty extends beyond mere allegiance to their industry or public opinion.

While it's essential for representatives to consider the needs and desires of those they represent, blindly following popular opinion undermines the very purpose of representation. True statesmanship lies in the exercise of independent judgment tempered by a comprehensive understanding of the issues at hand and guided by principles rather than fleeting sentiments. 

By prioritizing the collective welfare over transient popularity, a representative honors their obligations. They become a steward of the public interest, navigating the complexities of governance with wisdom and integrity. This requires the courage to make decisions that may not always align with prevailing sentiment but are nonetheless grounded in reasoned analysis and moral conviction. 

Now, members of the school board need to understand that the question will come as to whether they should continue to serve on the board. That is a legitimate and even logical question that will be answered in coming elections. And if school board members are replaced, that is also a part of the realm in which they serve.

The essence of effective representation lies in the delicate balance between responsiveness to constituents' concerns and the exercise of informed judgment. A representative who succumbs to the pressures of groupthink or special interests forsakes their duty and undermines the very foundation of representative governance. 

In that respect, the Iron County School Board did its job.