Dan Panico to Mamdani: Lead to Unite, Not to Divide

The levels of outward hatred directed toward people of differing religious faiths are the highest I have witnessed in my lifetime.

Elected leaders have a responsibility to ensure that their words and actions bring people together, not inflame division. That responsibility exists at every level of government.

Mayor Mamdani serves nearly 8.5 million people.

There are only 24 hours in a day, yet he has chosen to make his personal views on international affairs a continual centerpiece of his time in office.

Even a first-year law student knows that a local mayor has no authority to arrest a foreign head of state. Frankly, anyone from my generation who has seen Lethal Weapon 2 understands the same legal principle.

It did not require weeks of public debate to reach that conclusion. Instead, the controversy served only to prolong a political spectacle and further inflame division.

I serve nearly half a million people and have strong opinions on many issues. But spending my time promoting my personal views on matters beyond my jurisdiction would only distract from the responsibility I have to address the concerns of the residents of the Town of Brookhaven.

The mayor knows this. He also knows that many of the proposals that defined his campaign—from government-run grocery stores and free buses to replacing many policing functions with social workers—have generated significant controversy and criticism. Rather than focusing on governing, he has returned to the style of slick, divisive social media messaging that helped propel him to victory.

His supporters will undoubtedly argue that he is simply standing on principle.

But public office is about more than expressing deeply held beliefs. It is about delivering results for the people who entrusted you with the responsibility to govern. Every elected official faces countless challenges and the same 24 hours in a day. Those hours should be spent solving problems, not manufacturing new political controversies.

From presidents to governors, from county executives to mayors, the leaders of this great country should strive to unite people rather than divide them.

At a time when hatred and polarization are already at alarming levels, leadership should be measured not by how effectively it stirs outrage, but by how successfully it brings people together in pursuit of common goals

Source: @DanPanico, Facebook