Joe Gale’s comments are a wakeup call

Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale has set off a firestorm in recent weeks, culminating this weekend in protestors surrounding his home and demanding that he resign. In a recent press release, Gale referred to Black Lives Matter as “a radical left-wing hate group” that “screams racism not to expose bigotry and injustice, but to justify the lawless destruction of our cities and surrounding communities.” BLM’s objective, claims Gale, “is to unleash chaos and mayhem without consequence by falsely claiming they, in fact, are the victims.” These are the sentiments of a bumbling man with a tenuous grip on reality.

Gale is vomiting up phrases he has heard national political leaders espouse over the years and in recent weeks. The “radical left” and “law-andorder” are not original phrases; Gale merely put these phrases together in a uniquely dumb way. Gale did not even acknowledge the pent up fear and frustration undergirding the recent spates of violence, nor did he acknowledge the many peaceful protests that have rippled across the nation and the undue police violence with which those protests have been met. Should the rioting and looting be condemned? Absolutely. But so too should police violence and the larger racial inequities that continue to plague our nation — the real motivators of BLM.

The truth of these matters is complex, and we need politicians that are able to understand, grapple with, and speak to that complexity. In other words, we don’t need Joe Gale. Mr. Gale will not resign for the same reasons he issued his incendiary press release in the first place. He’s not that bright. So if the recent uproar does not result in Gale’s resignation, what does it leave us with? What are the takeaways from this small event occurring in the midst of the much grander events and crises currently gripping our nation?

I would say this: The takeaway is that you yourself can make a difference. When you hear phrases like “structural racism” or “police brutality,” you might feel a bit helpless. You might have been sickened while watching or reading about George Floyd’s murder. You might feel uneasy living in a society—right here in Southeastern PA—where so many African Americans live in poverty mere miles away from affluent whites. But you might feel like there’s not much you can do about it. Sure, you can read the news and vote, but what is there to do? You have a job, kids, and a life to live, after all.

But the Joe Gale fiasco shows that while these are big, national problems, there is obviously progress to be made here in our local communities. We still have local leaders that are manifestly lacking in intelligence and compassion like Joe Gale. Such leaders are either actively working against necessary reforms or standing in the way of creative solutions to some of our longstanding problems. We can do something about this.

Maybe you can run for local office, or help out on the campaign to unseat Joe Gale in 2023 and get out the vote for his challenger. You can do this without radically upending your life. Not everyone has to run for Congress or become a full-time activist. But everyone has a role to play in pushing our nation in the right direction—towards the greater realization of our founding ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We can all play that role here in Montgomery County in the context of our everyday lives.

Joe Gale’s incendiary remarks may not result in his resignation, but perhaps they can push us towards a recognition that there is still so much work to be done — work that we ourselves can be a part of — right here in our own local communities.