Aislinn Kottwitz for Fort Collins City Council

by Laura Stansbury

The times in which we live are not only interesting, they are defining. I, like most every other American, have struggled these past several months endeavoring to make some sense of our nation’s circumstances. I have been trying desperately to sift through the muck and the scandal in search of quality leaders. With each point of the presidential finger and each shrug of the Congressional shoulder I scratch my head, growing increasingly frustrated by the abysmal lack of personal responsibility, the staple upon which this nation was founded.

The United States has come to a crossroads. The sign at that intersection entices us down two very different paths. One path encourages us to put, not only our faith, but our money, our health and even our children into the cradling and controlling arms of the government. This path is filled with promises. This road is smooth and wide and flat. The trek appears easy and the course, enticing to many. The alternative rout is jagged and narrow and inarguably steep. It is a path which offers us no promises, assuring only the right to freedom and opportunity. Though this path is treacherous and steep, it leads to the mountain top where anything is possible.

I am searching for leaders who are willing and eager to guide this nation back along that jagged and narrow path and I have spotted one such leader right here in Ft. Collins, CO. Aislinn Kottwitz demonstrates precisely the sort of leadership this country has been so desperately searching for in recent months. Aislinn does not complain of the status quo, she sets out to do something about it. She does more than grow angry, she grows involved. Instead of anticipating that the day will come, when our current leaders might rise up in defense of our Founder’s principals; Aislinn has assumes that defense on her own.

Throughout the course of Sarah Palin’s campaign effort during the fall of 2008, I observed in dismay, as our media unendingly harassed, mocked and indicted Governor Palin for all variety of perceived inadequacies, standards of suitability not once used for the measurement of her male counterpart. Aislinn Kottwitz, at the local level and in a seemingly learned city, has already been exposed to similar such treatment. Ms. Kottwitz is not, however, judged only by her gender, but by her age as well. And so I must ask myself, have we come so far in our nation’s history as to have the clarity to see beyond color while still demonstrating an utter inability to see past our biases with regard to age and gender? For those fortunate to have to the opportunity to converse with Aislinn Kottwitz, I encourage you to test her commitment to her family. Scrutinize her devotion to her work. Challenge her intellect. You will find in Aislinn a quality and a principled drive and dare I say, acumen we are seeing precious little of in our current U.S. leadership.

If you, like me, are scouring the news for hope of a new guard willing and ready to challenge the old, then you need look no further than Ms. Kottwitz. I encourage you to cast your vote with the future in mind. Aislinn recognizes that from which country came and for that reason understand the direction in which it ought to go. Young leaders such as Aislinn Kottwitz are the saving grace we have been waiting for.

Cast your vote today.