SIXTY-SIX
"I voted according to my principles and let the chips
fall where they may...."
fall where they may...."
On p. 66 of GR, Sarah continues her discussion of her early experiences in local politics when she served as a member of the Wasilla City Council. She writes, "Sometimes council members' plans went beyond paternalism to conflicts of interest.
"For example, Nick [Carney] tried to spearhead a development plan that would require people living in homes built in new subdivisions to pay for weekly trash removal instead of hauling their trash to the dump themselves, as most Valley residents did and I still do. It was a convenient proposal: Nick owned the town's garbage truck company. I opposed that, too.
"Now, Nick was the de facto leader of the council, and even though he said Wasilla would do well to have me serve, he became extremely annoyed when I didn't vote the way he did. That didn't bother me; I had to live with my own conscience, so I voted according to my principles and let the chips fall where they may.
"A vote on garbage seems like small potatoes. But it was not a little thing to me. I wanted our local government to position itself on the side of the people and preserve their freedom so that Wasilla could progress, and not restrict opportunities."
We have a few simple words here, and yet they admirably summarize Sarah's philosophy first of governing and mastering and conquering her own self, and then of governing for and on behalf of others.
You resolve in general to do whatever is right and just in the majestic presence of your own soul and conscience, in order that you yourself may live at peace with your God! You are then and thus enabled and empowered, by a Law of God and of nature, both to do whatever is right and just for your neighbor in any particular situation, and also to inspire and instill in your neighbor's heart a love for that same eternal justice. The treasure of justice is conceived in one heart and conscience, and is then passed on to others! Justice conceives justice.
Conversely, those who violate their own consciences for material or other advantages become spiritually and intellectually sterile. They are incapable of bringing forth in other hearts the fruit and beauty of justice.
What immense good Sarah has wrought for so many millions in America, and even worldwide!! On the other hand, who is Nick Carney? Where is he today? How many people would even know his name, had Sarah not mentioned him in her book?
Sarah has breathed her very soul and spirit into every page of this work. The result is that one can take any little slice or sliver or piece of the volume, examine it, and find her whole brave, beautiful life, and indeed philosophy of living, summed up and captured therein.
We witness this phenomenon right here on p. 66; we have witnessed it over and over through the previous pages of the opus.
Let me conclude with an observation or two on these words of hers that were cited above: "A vote on garbage seems like small potatoes. But it was not a little thing to me."
Profound words!!
Yes indeed, the subject of garbage taken by itself, outside of the compass and measure of the moral and mortal combat that is waged in and for each and every luminous human soul, is indeed a tiny, tiny thing.
However, when any matter, be it ever so minuscule and humble in and of itself, engages and involves decisions and actions that test and try the conscience and soul of a human being, then that matter becomes vast and mighty indeed. Such matters are weighed in the terrible scales of eternal consequences.
IMHO, one human soul is more precious in the sight of the Lord than an entire galaxy, in all its glory and radiance!!
Our Sarah has guarded well the miniature universe that is her own lovely soul and conscience. She has thus inspired millions of her brothers and sisters to take similar care for the inestimable treasure that dwells in the deep places of their hearts!!!
These are not little things.
