Living in Santa Clarita for three decades allowed me to watch the growth of our community while medically caring for many residents. Over a decade ago it became apparent the quality of medical care was threatened, so I got involved.
Some of it was through picketing the hospital, while other times I chose to query the City Council. I was elected to the hospital physician Medical Executive Committee for five years with the hope of improving patient care. And, now, I write about problems we face as a nation in providing adequate healthcare—especially to elder seniors, veterans and homeless.
One cannot avoid the politics associated with many of these overlapping issues, and nowadays we find extremes on both sides of the aisle. Name calling and labeling has become a pastime, while earplugs are deployed to avoid opinions from the other side.
Even in the microcosm of our small valley, it has become, “You’re either with me, or the enemy.”
Dissecting and analyzing a person’s viewpoint solely to place them in a political category belittles the ideals of independent thinking. Being on one side is like being a Rams fan and not an Eagles fan, or a Dodgers fan over a Giants fan. Like a gladiator versus a lion in the Roman Coliseum, there are some who would root for the lion.
It’s not all athleticism. Sometimes it involves finance, ethics, religion and even life and death.
I label myself a “bleeding-heart fiscal conservative.” That doesn’t make me a Democratic nor Republican, and as you might suspect, I am an Independent voter.
Obtaining truthful information is not easy these days as one must look at all angles and sources. For this information therefore, I have always turned to The League of Women Voters. The league is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
A handful of Santa Clarita women and men seeking unbiased information have formed a local chapter of the league in our valley. We will discuss and bring forward worthy, neutral and objective facts that will allow you to reach your own conclusions concerning important matters in our community, state and around the nation.
The League of Women Voters of the SCV—in conjunction with College of the Canyons Center for Civic Engagement—is sponsoring an event open to the public on March 22 at 6:30 pm in the Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook University Center room 258 entitled “Sips and Civility” with the topic: “The America We Want to Be.” If you wish to attend, please RSVP at: [email protected].
I promise this will be unbiased, and we won’t turn the lions on you.
Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D. is a Saugus resident
