On Friday morning, former Governor John Bel Edwards came to speak at LABS. He gave interesting insight into politics, his career, and the impact of politics and public service. Edwards stated that what inspired his career as a public servant was his parents’ role in the community: his dad was a sheriff, and his mother was a registered nurse at a charity hospital. He also said that the Gospels, particularly the 25th chapter of Matthew, called him into public service. Continuing that same idea, Edwards said, “We need people to serve,” and emphasized that if “decent, well intentioned, and hardworking people” do not come into office, the opposite type of people will.
He pointed out the further difficulties of politics, explaining that it is hard to subject your family to discourse based on the decisions you choose to uphold. He elaborated that it is often difficult to work with people who do not share the same mindset, but “the only way [he] could accomplish anything as a politician was through bipartisanship,” and that maintaining your own morals is evidence of individual integrity. Edwards then moved on to comment on the Boys State program, saying that it not only “gives you a feel for politics,” but also “prepares you for life.”
When questioned on what the largest lesson to take from his speech was, he said that it was simply education. After leaving high school, Edwards originally felt inadequate when continuing his education at West Point Military Academy; however, those feelings quickly subsided once classes started and he succeeded in the rigorous program. He said that as a student from a smaller high school, he initially felt that his education and opportunities were not up to par with those of his fellow college students, but that same small town high school taught him valuable life lessons and shaped his character–two aspects that turned out to be more valuable than taking advanced classes at a larger high school. He concluded by saying that it is more important to focus on accomplishments than shortcomings for any person, but especially as a politician and young student.
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