Don't stand on the sidelines

With primary season now over, election season is officially in full swing, barreling toward that second Tuesday in November. I'm reminded of this because a member of the security industry, Michael Morrison, is running for a seat in the California State Assembly (see related story below), wanting to do more than complain about controversial topics like licensing requirements for security officers. I'm sure he's not the only one in the industry who's thrown his or her hat in the ring. As a whole, the industry is made up of a great many civic-minded individuals, some of whom have served in the military or police ranks, others who simply see keeping people safe as their civic duty. But I do wonder if many of you have seriously considered running for public office, whether it's for your local school board or the U.S. House of Representatives. Today, many politicians run unopposed for their seats, often not because they're particularly popular, but only because no one has taken the plunge to oppose them. It's commonplace for primaries to be a mere formality. Yet, where is the universal approval of the jobs these people are doing representing us that would lead to this complacency? I haven't come across it in any of my travels. Rather, people of most any political persuasion seem to feel underrepresented, even ignored, as citizens with hopes and desires for the direction of their country, state, or local municipality. It strikes me that security industry members--be they chief executives at successful corporations, with large and complex budgets, or simply security professionals who've learned their communities' needs through keeping them safe--might be well suited to representing the needs of the common citizen: to feel secure in the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. Who's up to the task?