It’s not clear to me how or why it happened, but running for elected office has become a #MyTurn movement.
#MyTurn went mainstream with the failed candidacy of Hillary Clinton. She had no policies, no vision for America, no apparent rationale to be elected president – except one: she thought it was her turn. So did the Democrat Party. She was going to be the first female president of the United States. That was the Clinton campaign in a nutshell – it’s my turn.
Quick disclaimer, I created the hashtag #MyTurn writing this piece.
In a few weeks, Alabamians will go to the polls to elect a governor, members of Congress and local elected officials. The #MyTurn movement is well represented at the local level.
Let’s take the Jefferson County sheriff race fter the mayor of Birmingham, arguably the most crucial role in the Greater Birmingham region. The sheriff provides law enforcement to the county and maintains full law enforcement jurisdiction in all cities and townships. It’s an important, difficult job. The best person for the job should have the job. The street they live on, where they shop, and where their parents went to school are not qualifications. Nor is #MyTurn.
The Democrat running for sheriff of Jefferson County, Sergeant Mark Pettway, is a poster child for the #MyTurn movement. Like Hillary Clinton before him, he is not campaigning on new ideas to keep the community safe. He seems oblivious to the strides and initiatives made within the department he is meant to be part of.
Don’t take my word for it, let’s look at Pettway’s four-point “Pettway Protective Plan,” outlined in his recent mailer:
1. “Protect our children in school” by “increasing the presence of both law enforcement and protective equipment…”
Good idea, except it has already been done. Sheriff Hale implemented a program earlier this year to place a School Resource Officer in every Jefferson County School.
2. “Equipping Deputies with Body and Dash Cameras”
Maybe Pettway failed to show up at work the day the fifth-generation body and dash cameras were rolled out in Jefferson County? Maybe he doesn’t understand the enormous cost savings resulting from a cloud-based system. Pettway does not seem to understand technology and has no grasp of the tremendous effectiveness of the Metro Area Crime Center (MACC).
3. “Criminal Justice Reform so inmates can earn a GED or learn a trade”
I guess Mr. Pettway missed the memos over the years? GED programs have been available in Jefferson County for a number of years. An average pre-trial inmate stay is 145 days. Despite the relatively short time frame, in recent years between 35 and 60 inmates have graduated with a GED.
4. “Law Enforcement Training”
Maybe the sergeant hasn’t been keeping up with his own training? To quote the county’s own website, “The Sheriff’s Academy is the only law enforcement academy in the state where the training curriculum is specifically developed for the unique duties and responsibilities of deputy sheriffs. This allows for the teaching of departmental specific topics”.
Like any bona fide #MyTurn candidate, Pettway is validating the incumbent’s initiatives. The cruellest blow, perhaps, is that by ineffectively plagiarizing Sheriff Mike Hale’s programs, Pettway has given a big thumbs up to the incumbent and his policies. A sheriff is charged with keeping the county safe by enforcing law and order.
#MyTurn is not and should not be a qualification. Democrat or Republican, your safety and security depend on it. I urge you to vote for the most qualified, innovative person to wear the sheriff’s star. #MyTurn politics should not impact your safety. #MyTurn is the siren call of the unqualified. Just ask citizen Clinton.
LCDR Greg “GW” Keeley, USN (ret) is the Managing Partner of Dreadnaught.
He was recently included on The Yellowhammer Power & Influence 50 the annual list of the 50 most powerful and influential players in Alabama. Greg is a contributor to The Hill, Washington Times, Daily Caller, Fox News. He is a veteran of Iraq and, Afghanistan and served in the U.S> Congress as Senior Advisor to the Vice Chairman of the House Armed Service Committee, the Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee and the Chairman of the Republican Senate Policy Committee.
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