I set out to run for Portland’s City Council for many reasons; primary among them, stewardship.

Now retired from teaching and practicing law only part time, I have time to serve, as I have watched my mentors serve, and I believe that my skills as an attorney who specialized in constitutional law and a teacher of history and government will be useful to my hometown at a time when several experienced city leaders are departing. Additionally, I share the concerns I have heard from friends, family, and neighbors over the last several years about the growing list of challenges to maintain our lives here in Portland. I set out to run for City Council with hopes to become part of the solution.

As Election Day draws near and the activities of campaigning have begun to wind down, I am troubled by what I have seen and heard along the way. I feel compelled to take the opportunity to share my perspective, as others have done.

Over and over again, people in Portland confide in me that they feel worried, even afraid, to speak up or speak out. I have heard parents say they have been berated by elected officials in Portland and homeowners talk about retribution from city hall when they have made their feelings known. The shift I have witnessed in Portland from, “I’m concerned” or “I’m worried,” to “I’m afraid” and “I’m scared,” is one that should raise a red flag in all our minds.

We are at a crossroads. As we have joined the global community in facing a deadly virus, we appear to have lost our our ability to work together.

We cannot cancel conflict. We cannot erase unease. We cannot censor sentiment. Doing so cultivates fear, anger and harm. We must restore our ability to respectfully agree to disagree. We must continue hard conversations rather than tweeting into the universe and walking away. People who seek to quiet or discredit voices that do not buy into one way of thinking or support a given agenda are not authentic brokers of the common good, no matter how they spin the narrative. A community in which one political faction holds all the power and uses a bully pulpit to shame and stifle critics is a community corrupted.

Our founders considered disagreement a form of patriotism.

The Constitution was forged in opposition to oppressors and framed by individuals whose disagreements still echo among us today. Dissenting voices help us grow. The free exchange of ideas allows us to gather the information we need to answer important questions and pose new ones. When we do this, we gain the insight that builds wisdom. Wisdom is the power we need to create meaningful solutions. We need leaders who are as dedicated to listening to those who challenge them as they are to instructing others on their own agendas.

As a history and government teacher, I know that when communities come together, they can experience Golden Ages. I urge every Portland voter to pay attention to this moment. Our founders gave us a powerful shield to protect ourselves, our families, and our interests, and that is our right to vote. Make sure you exercise your right to vote on Nov. 2.