When did it become unacceptable to be unsure?

We use words to describe well-regarded political figures that simply baffle me. We use words like “grounded,” “consistent,” and “trustworthy,” all in the same description, all with the implication that we really value our political representatives’ abilities to know everything without having even been exposed to a fraction of the information needed to have an informed opinion. We applaud politicians who “stick with their principles,” and “know what they stand for.”

This is stupid. It’s incredibly limiting, and it’s also probably the biggest chunk of what’s wrong in the political sphere. We apparently are more comforted by a politician who claims to know everything than we are by one who might be tempted to say, “I need to learn more about that.” I have sympathy for the most recent Libertarian presidential candidate because he got raked over the coals for admitting he lacked knowledge on something. Is there an SAT of current events that every candidate for office has to memorize? If so, that’s flawed - rote memorization doesn’t teach one how to think and ask questions. No wonder we have so many rank-and-file party-dominated politicians. They have no idea how to possibly come to an individual conclusion outside the hive mind. They’d pass that history quiz with the names and dates of events, but they’d fail the research papers - where the real learning happens.

I want politicians who have lots of questions rather than all of the answers. I want someone who will take the time to analyze potential solutions for the needs of the constituents. Confidence and narcissism create great theater, along with a great deal of chaos and a long list of poor decisions. Answering a constituent’s questions or even accusations with a defensive, two-dimensional answer accomplishes nothing. Even if a mind is already made up, it should be able to change if new information is presented.

But no, our society supports the predictable ones, the people with the black-and-white answers who seek only information that confirms their already established biases. We can’t have someone changing their mind - if they do, they’ve obviously been bought and paid for by a corporation, lobbyist, or other wealthy entity.

We will ourselves to remain blind to the fact that their ideals and decisions have been bought and paid for since the very beginning.

I don’t give a damn which political sign you stick in your yard or which box you checked on the voter registration card - whatever category you’ve allowed yourself to be sorted into, don’t let it confine you. Take those blinders off. Recognize the value in not knowing everything, and search for candidates who possess a determination to learn as much as they can about their constituents’ issues, needs, and priorities, and who is committed to a search for solutions rather than for a way to prove their first solution is the best one.

I’m running for Belfast City Council. I don’t know everything. Hell, I even struggle with what party defines me - because the truth is, none of them do. At the moment my political affiliation on my voting card reads “undefined/undeclared” because I originally chose a political faction thinking I could make a difference by participating in primaries. I know now that my vote didn’t count when I did participate, so any impact I decide I’m going to make in the future is not going to happen via that route. So - I got more information, gained some experience, and changed my mind. See how that works?

I do know some bits of knowledge that will not change. I know that I care about individuals. I care about my community. I care about finding solutions that work best to fulfill individual and community needs. I live on Belfast’s “East Side,” and I’m tired of there being a “side” at all. We’re all Belfast. And we all deserve community representatives who want to learn.