Together We Rise - Io Wie Mayor Speech [75]
Jun 2, 2017 1:47:16 GMT -5
Post by shrimp on Jun 2, 2017 1:47:16 GMT -5
Oh fuck my life I haven't spoken to a crowd like this since graduation.
Well, what's the worst that could happen?
Death, probably.
Her heart's threatening to leap out of her chest, but it's the anger that bubbles away, the salt that dissolves in her throat, that keeps her sitting in the chair. Just five years ago, if you asked Io Wie if she had governmental ambitions, she would have laughed in her face. To be honest, some days she almost laughs at herself in the mirror.
But she has the endorsements, from her sister and Esau to 68th Victor Patricia Valfierno. And she has her platform, the issues that can't be fixed - won't be fixed, without someone who's willing to get their hands dirty to make their lives better. Or as better as they can be in a land that ritualistically kills two of their children each year.
She knows that they're watching, waiting to see what she's made of. From the citizens of 5 to the Peacekeepers, there's a fine line to tread when advocating for change lest she loses her head - literally. She's run through her speech countless times, making sure to maintain a level of restraint. Her temper may have gotten the best of her when she was in her teens, spewing impatience and spite, but it won't do so here. It can't.
She breathes in, breathes out, clears her throat quietly during the applause before she begins speaking. And then she does.
"When I was young - younger than I am now, District 10 was hit with a devastating flood. Homes and ranches collapsed, livelihoods were destroyed. And when I first heard that District 5 was sending a group of volunteers to aid in the disaster, I jumped on board to help on the front lines.
It was difficult work. I saw a lot of life-altering injuries both physical and mental, and far too much death. But beside me was a girl from 6 with a steadier hand than mine. Our supervisor was a woman from 2 with quick instincts and a lifetime of experience. And it taught me that when we work together, we can rebuild a District back from rubble.
That's what we can, and should, be doing here. As a head doctor I have seen far too many patients come into the factory clinic with traumatic injuries that could have been avoided had they been more awake, or infections that could have been staved off if they had just come in a few days earlier. Exhaustion is etched in the bags under their eyes and the trembling of their fingers. But there's no opportunities for bed rest, or for sick leave - many of us are still scrambling to make end's meet, and a day without work is a day without food in their family's stomachs.
We as citizens need working hours that allow for us to rest. We need wages that enable us to provide for ourselves, our parents, our spouses, our children. We need allowances for us to take the time to get better, so that we can be better the next day. As mayor, I will work for an increase in factory wages, a better standard on labor laws, and a solid sick leave policy. And through this, the quality of our work can be better than it currently is.
Now, it's been some time since our District changed from herding sheep to manning oil rigs, but you can still see the ramifications of this in the ranches left abandoned or sold to the highest bidder, in the weathered hands of our parents and grandparents who spent a lifetime mastering their trade, only to have the deck reshuffled.
I want to improve education - not just for those currently in school, but for those who have already worked for decades and found themselves trying to keep up in the aftermath of an industry change. We can help former ranchers learn the standards while recycling their skills and point of view for better adaptability and quality of our products.
This world is hard - there's no denying that. But helping each other is what we do, and through that we grow and we prosper. Together, we rise, and become our best selves.
Thank you."
Well, what's the worst that could happen?
Death, probably.
Her heart's threatening to leap out of her chest, but it's the anger that bubbles away, the salt that dissolves in her throat, that keeps her sitting in the chair. Just five years ago, if you asked Io Wie if she had governmental ambitions, she would have laughed in her face. To be honest, some days she almost laughs at herself in the mirror.
But she has the endorsements, from her sister and Esau to 68th Victor Patricia Valfierno. And she has her platform, the issues that can't be fixed - won't be fixed, without someone who's willing to get their hands dirty to make their lives better. Or as better as they can be in a land that ritualistically kills two of their children each year.
She knows that they're watching, waiting to see what she's made of. From the citizens of 5 to the Peacekeepers, there's a fine line to tread when advocating for change lest she loses her head - literally. She's run through her speech countless times, making sure to maintain a level of restraint. Her temper may have gotten the best of her when she was in her teens, spewing impatience and spite, but it won't do so here. It can't.
She breathes in, breathes out, clears her throat quietly during the applause before she begins speaking. And then she does.
"When I was young - younger than I am now, District 10 was hit with a devastating flood. Homes and ranches collapsed, livelihoods were destroyed. And when I first heard that District 5 was sending a group of volunteers to aid in the disaster, I jumped on board to help on the front lines.
It was difficult work. I saw a lot of life-altering injuries both physical and mental, and far too much death. But beside me was a girl from 6 with a steadier hand than mine. Our supervisor was a woman from 2 with quick instincts and a lifetime of experience. And it taught me that when we work together, we can rebuild a District back from rubble.
That's what we can, and should, be doing here. As a head doctor I have seen far too many patients come into the factory clinic with traumatic injuries that could have been avoided had they been more awake, or infections that could have been staved off if they had just come in a few days earlier. Exhaustion is etched in the bags under their eyes and the trembling of their fingers. But there's no opportunities for bed rest, or for sick leave - many of us are still scrambling to make end's meet, and a day without work is a day without food in their family's stomachs.
We as citizens need working hours that allow for us to rest. We need wages that enable us to provide for ourselves, our parents, our spouses, our children. We need allowances for us to take the time to get better, so that we can be better the next day. As mayor, I will work for an increase in factory wages, a better standard on labor laws, and a solid sick leave policy. And through this, the quality of our work can be better than it currently is.
Now, it's been some time since our District changed from herding sheep to manning oil rigs, but you can still see the ramifications of this in the ranches left abandoned or sold to the highest bidder, in the weathered hands of our parents and grandparents who spent a lifetime mastering their trade, only to have the deck reshuffled.
I want to improve education - not just for those currently in school, but for those who have already worked for decades and found themselves trying to keep up in the aftermath of an industry change. We can help former ranchers learn the standards while recycling their skills and point of view for better adaptability and quality of our products.
This world is hard - there's no denying that. But helping each other is what we do, and through that we grow and we prosper. Together, we rise, and become our best selves.
Thank you."
