Baltimore, Who Are You Loyal To?

Loyalty. In its purest sense, it is the very essence and cornerstone of family. 

People have heard stories of mothers who have lifted cars in order to save their children. Fathers have found courage and a strength they never knew they had in order to protect their loved ones from dangerous obstacles.

When I think of loyalty, I think about how I would do whatever it takes to keep my wife and children safe. I would willingly sacrifice my very life for their protection.

Many of you know this type of loyalty.

Loyalty can be displayed by acts as large as taking a bullet for someone to the relatively minor act of being a confidant who is willing to keep the secrets of another.

But what makes us loyal and, just as important, who are you truly loyal to?

For me, it is my family. It is the deep commitment that I have for them and it is exhibited in my actions every single day. 

Like me, many others are loyal to their family members. 

There is a group of people, however, who are not loyal to their blood relatives for various reasons. For these individuals they may be loyal to their non-biological family, their forever friends. And still, others are loyal to themselves.

If we are to fix and heal this great city of ours, we must first ask ourselves who we are loyal to.

Are we loyal to our blood relatives or a created family? 

Are we loyal to our friends or are we loyal only to ourselves? 

Are we loyal to our community or are we loyal to our personal well being?

In the political arena, we need to decide if we are loyal to a political party (albeit one that has never done anything to truly help mend our brokenness) or if we are loyal to the idea that we can make our city one to be proud of, one worth emulating.

Are we loyal to the status quo or are we loyal to the up-hill battle against the challenges and difficulties that we need to address in order to make Baltimore more than what it is?

I am running for office and my loyalties are to my God, my family, my community, my city, and my fight for a better future.

I hope that your loyalties are greater than just to yourself and the way things are. If so, together, we can tackle any issue and make our city great regardless of what the naysayers think.

Baltimore, I encourage you to \look in the mirror and figure out what or whom to which you are loyal.