Join the new world

Hi everyone!

I really appreciate you taking the time to look over my presentation and I'm sorry I didn't have the time & skill to make it a little more visually appealing. You might be surprised I'm running for office. If I went back in time two weeks and told myself, I would be too (although being confronted by my future self would be no small part of that)!

When I joined erep, it was honestly the last thing on my mind. I was just concerned with freeing my country. Trying to do that though, I've learned there's a lot more to winning than just clicking on the right battle, although it is critically important that we work together and strike hardest when and where our damage is needed most.

This is a social strategy game, and we all need to be as involved as possible. That can mean reaching out to newer players and helping them. On occasion (not often, I am not a rich man) I have been able to pass along help, a moving ticket here and there, gifts to get someone to 40, some food, and some guns. If all you can offer is advice (like how to move to and use the Hospital), that's help too. When you help someone maximize their wellness or damage you're helping our whole citizen army, our whole labor force. You also contribute indirectly because that same person you helped might be helping someone else tomorrow.

If you're not an expert even just a little encouragement might be the thing that keeps another active player in this game. Remember even when we vote an article (lucha rojo!) we are determining what others will be reading, and when we comment we might change how they view what they just read. There is a place for hearts and minds in this game.

Last month, I used my vote to help stop a PTO (a "political take over" or hostile power grab by outside forces) in eSouth Africa. It was the most surprising path my eLife has taken (really, I think running for Congress is second) and definitely the most rewarding. I signed up afterward as an Airman because there are other plotters out there who want to use sheer force of numbers to dominate the smaller countries out there. I encourage you to do so as well if you are remotely inclined. Right now Serbia/PEACE GC is trying to take over eBiH, an ally of ours. I would love to have your vote, or love to have your vote go to any of the many other candidates I'm a fan of, but if your conscience doesn't guide you to anyone here or finds this to be a more compelling cause, I encourage you to look into this. eBiH has a congress though, so citizenship is not a guarantee, but let somebody know if you're interested. Thanks to Senator Elderon for pointing the article out.

I believe results > credit. I'd rather have a good idea of mine get used as if it were somebody else's than not at all. Not everybody feels that way of course, and even volunteer projects are plagued by everybody wanting to start their own instead of working together (I know Astra feels me on this one), but often it's just a lack of coordination more than an unwillingess. We have people saying they want to help but efforts already in place can't always find those offering. I think a single entity that coordinates between volunteers and projects will help eliminate that just as a side effect. Not really a Congressional project, but one I'm excited about, although I would like to change it's name from DoL to DOVE (Department of Volunteer Endeavors), is Choc's here.

What Do I Bring to the Table?

Activity Level. One of the absolute essential keys to the game; I will be on here all the time, which includes when I'm needed. I won't miss a vote. I won't skip reading proposals. I'll be on here checking the forums, reading articles, and writing them (an area I haven't been as pressed about in the past but that will change with my new role).

Dedication. Along the same lines as the last. If you look at my total damage (100/day average even counting days before I could fight) and rank or my soon-to-be-two Hard Worker Medal(s) you will see that I am not just here, I am dedicated to what I commit to. I'm not rich, and it is not easy to fight with weapons. I find a way though, as often as I can, and I plan to put that same dedication into being your Senator.

Knowledge of Game Mechanics. I understand the role and limits of a senator in this game. I'm not here to roleplay or make up endless pet projects or call myself Tsar. I'm here to make two proposals, which, even with the last vestiges of GC imperialism being pushed out of North America, will likely be donations to the CBO. I'm here to vote in an educated way on the other proposals the President and my fellow Senators propose. Also, while not a game mechanic per se, I am going to follow proper Congressional procedure to ensure we do not waste any of our precious proposals.

I'm neutral. Like Switzerland (ok, bad example). I really am not political. I know nothing about the USWP except that they asked me to run under their banner and that the same banner happened to include many other people I greatly respect and admire (many of whom also aren't political). I really don't care what party or background someone else comes from, I will work with them.

Anyhow, there you have it. I apologize if it's not the best organized and I know I probably didn't touch on everything, but like I've said, political office was not something I've been planning on shooting for. Please PM me or ask in the comments if you have any questions at all!

Yours in Service
S Harper