The Democratic Party has taken a lot of well-deserved criticism lately for focusing on celebrities while paying so little attention to local politics that it’s overseen a complete institutional collapse. It’s almost enough to make you ask whether our nation’s richest and most famous people are a solid base for a leftist political party! So it’s only fair to point out one celebrity who is doing things right: comedian Dave Chappelle, who, Pitchfork reports, went to his hometown town council meeting to speak about the search for a new police chief and in the process delivered a paean to local government.
Chappelle lives in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and, according to his remarks, was present for the early parts of a New Year’s Eve altercation between police and civilians, when attempts to clear revelers from the streets shortly after midnight led to a Taser incident. But while other cities have been slow to respond when their police department outright murders people, in this case, the police chief resigned on Jan. 3, giving the town council what Chappelle calls “a tremendous opportunity to be a leader in progressive law enforcement” in choosing a replacement:
In this Trump era, here’s an opportunity to show everybody that local politics reigns supreme. We can make our corner of the world outstanding. So I’m just begging you to find a candidate that matches the culture of this town, which is incredibly unique.
It makes sense, in this age of kakistocracy, that people are looking locally right now for places they can have an impact. But even if national politics becomes less of a terrifying shit show, Chappelle’s engagement in the day-to-day governing of his town is the kind of thing we all should be doing. Even our beloved celebs.
