||| FROM STEVE SMITH |||
In the theater of life, reputations are the costumes we wear—the finely-tailored suits or the threadbare cloaks that define us. A person with a sterling reputation is akin to a celebrated actor, bathed in the spotlight’s warm glow. We applaud their virtues, admire their deeds, and weave narratives of integrity and honor around them. Their name becomes synonymous with trustworthiness, kindness, and reliability.
Yet, behind the velvet curtain, there exists another script—a shadow play of doubts and hidden truths. Contrary evidence, like a persistent understudy, waits in the wings. It whispers unsettling lines: the late-night deals struck in dimly-lit corridors, the unreturned favors, the hushed rumors. These fragments of reality threaten to tear the fabric of reputation apart.
Consider the philanthropist who graces magazine covers, hailed for their generosity. Delve deeper, and you find tax-evasion and ponzi schemes—the flaws obscured by the glossy photoshoot.
Consider the leader who tells everyone that all is well. Beneath the podium, though, lies a trail of broken promises, silenced dissenters, and personal indulgences.
Consider the long-time resident who banks on their good reputation and asks you to trust them. Yet, behind the curtain, you find bullying tactics and termination from their prior employment for the mismanagement of funds.
The tension between reputation and the mounting evidence is a delicate dance. As the community watches, there’s a clinging to reputations. We’re reluctant to see behind the familiar mask. Cognitive dissonance sets in. There’s an incongruity between what we see and what we believe, and we rationalize: “Perhaps they had reasons,” or, “everyone has flaws.”
Yet, the cracks widen, and the mask slips.
In literature, we find tragic heroes—the Othellos and Willy Lomans—whose reputations crumble under scrutiny. Their virtues, once pillars, become shackles. The audience gasps as the truth unfurls: the hero’s fatal flaw, the damning letter, the secret life. We mourn their fall, for we recognize our own fragility.
So, what do we do when faced with contrary evidence? Do we discard the reputation entirely, or do we cling to the illusion, the mask?
As we look at the people across this nation who are choosing to vote for false promises, we wonder how they can be such fools. We shake our heads and say, “Can’t they see through the lies?”
As you vote, ask yourself, do I vote for the illusion? Or, do I vote for the evidence?
Pull back the curtain and look at the evidence. If you submitted a proxy for the illusion, please consider submitting an updated proxy that shows that you are not fooled by the false promises that all is well and nothing needs to change.
A blank EWUA proxy form that you can print out. And our suggestions on how to complete the form.