After finishing a Ph.D. in Education at the University of Maryland, I got a job teaching mathematics at Bowie State University. Some years later, I wound up astonishing myself, trading mathematics for dance by becoming a Latin dance teacher. Though I loved to dance, I never imagined it would become a career! And yet, as they say, here we are….. I now direct Danceintime, a Latin dance company and am writing a book about a group form of Salsa dancing that’s popular worldwide.
I grew up in a very liberal neighborhood and went to college at the University of Chicago, also a very liberal environment. Over the years I became committed to the belief that human problems are too complex and nuanced for easy answers. The best “solutions” we can come up with often have unintended consequences. It seems that there are pros and cons to all solutions and if these aren’t carefully “weighed” against each other, I don’t feel the matter has been given adequate thought. In short, I’m always skeptical of whether a policy is really the best or most effective one for resolving a problem.
In addition, it has always struck me as odd that people would conform to the standard “liberal” (or conservative) view on so many different issues. Life seems too messy for that kind of consistency of thought. I never felt I fit well in any political groove.
The fact that different policies are better for different people makes political decisions very difficult. We are always trying to parse what is most fair, most appropriate, whose needs are most crucial, etc. Tough decisions….but here we are…
I am impressed at the level of analysis given to all sides of each issue in the policy positions of the Centrist Independent Voter. I hope this website encourages honest dialogue about the many tough decisions that our country has to make!