What's at stake in this election

In my door-to-door solicitation for signatures, to qualify as a mayoral candidate in this year’s election, my ethnicity (I am an Asian, Filipino descent) has elicited interesting questions about my qualifications for the office, particularly the contributions I have made if there are, to the community that makes me think “I could be a Mayor” is how the man I was talking with, steadfastly put it.

I have been confronted with questions wrapped in racial overtones before and though I would have wanted to engage in that type of a discourse, time and purpose limited my ability to do so, which defined my response to him but was apparently satisfactory enough to get him to agree and sign.

As the only candidate for public office who have suffered and endured the violence of racism and other acts of indignities just because of perceptions brought about by our country of origin, which in my mind only further cemented the notoriety that follows East Haven’s name, infused me the resolved to combatting that existential problem, in the hope of bringing about the decent quality of life that has been denied our neighborhood, ironically enough by our government whose primary function if anything is to safeguard it and will pretty much explain what this endeavor is all about.

To the degree that our efforts (my wife helped of course) brought about a relative calm and peace in this part of our town, infused me with an abundance of moral encouragement to continue on, which fundamentally formed the genesis of my participation in the politics of our government.

It will also explain why I’ve attempted to run for the office of the mayor before, convinced that an unequivocal determination, broad knowledge from experience, and vision is what it would take to make East Haven more representative of our collective ideals.

A qualifier that in my mind was clearly absent, judging from the scandals of our past and present government, which brings to mind a phrase widely attributed to Albert Einstein that says: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”

And with all due respect to all, but looking at the political landscape of present (and future) announced candidates for mayor from both political parties, I think it fair to assume that no reasonable mind could realistically expect a different result from them either.

Integrity and reputation are important elements not just for us humans but for all the institutions that help us explore life to find meaning to our existence.

Better yet, let us leave a finer legacy for our children’s sake and do something truly, meaningfully different, in this coming election.

Oni Sioson For Mayor

Integrityforeasthaven@gmail.com