Letter: Why I'm running for office

"Why the heck would any honest young person want to go into politics?”

Westsiders out for a night on Franklin Street, Posey County friends at church socials and barn parties, Evansville business people walking on main street ask me the same question. As a political newcomer, I expected a hodgepodge of questions. “How will you stymie the heroin epidemic?” or a simple “Why should I vote for you?” but that one question: “Why the heck would you want to go in politics?” has been non-stop.

Brady Hall to challenge Tomes in 2018 election

You would think I had just volunteered for an all-inclusive vacation in scenic Pyongyang, North Korea. The unfortunate reality is the rancor in politics is publicized and sensationalized everywhere, and you may wonder why anyone would willingly subject their life to the public scrutiny, character assassination, the fake news, or the endless protests. We’ve become so repulsed by the circus, we haven’t noticed the tent is engulfed in flames.

As the heroin body count piles up throughout the Hoosier state, as Kim Jung Un tries to figure out the North Korean version of rocket science and Russia continues to hack away at our firewall, we’re busy paying disgusted attention to the political pundits who are paid-per-rating or whatever is trending on Twitter. Who could blame you for saying “Why bother? Politics is nasty.” It is the nature of politics to be nasty; you know it, I know it, everybody knows it. Fortunately, Hoosier hospitality isn’t nasty.

Politics is derived from the Greek word polis- a body of citizens. The focus of authentic politics, is doing the work of we, the people. You have probably noticed, it is overdue for those whom we have entrusted to represent us in office, to do their jobs. It is the job of upstart crows like me, to remind our politicians, and our society, what the purpose of politics truly is; to do the people’s work.

Leaders should be problem solvers -focused on fixing the biggest problems of our times- not arguing about bathrooms and Bruce Jenner. That is why the heck I want to be a leader or a “peopletician” (to coin a word) and leave the politics, to the politicians.

Brady Hall of Evansville has announced he will run against State Sen. Jim Tomes in Indiana District 49.