Elissa Yount: To the underdogs


Do you ever pull for the underdog?

I don’t mean the cartoon character Underdog, I mean the underdogs who make up a good part of our community.

Let me describe one set of underdogs. These underdogs may not be easy to spot. They work from month to month and paycheck to paycheck without family money to prop them up. They are honest and fair and reasonable. They are often ridiculed because they do not compete in the big league of making money, but rather spend their considerable talents in service — especially when it comes to their vocations. In their employment, they are not looking out for Number One, but Number Everyone Else.

These underdogs do without so their children can have opportunities and benefits they did not enjoy. Their children and the welfare and stability of their homes come first, and they know that if they fail their family (in all the many ways you can fail), then, regardless of what else they accomplish, they are failures. They have stress in their lives because they they see such great need and try to do too much. The underdogs feel like they have been given much, and so much is required of them. To them, sharing the wealth is an obligation.

Underdogs do not toot their own horn, nor do they invite controversy, or take credit for things they do not accomplish. These underdogs do not believe everything they are told, but they do politely listen. Even when they know they are being lied to they resist confrontation. Underdogs of this caliber do not seek the spotlight, nor do they want it. They do not think that they have all the answers, nor do they think they have all the solutions; nevertheless, they do have the work ethic to try to make things better for others, and they use it.

Their philosophy of life is that they were put on the earth to be of some useful good to others. Their philosophy includes putting their own welfare aside so that what prevails is what is good for the majority.

Do you know anyone like this?

I say that Jason and Angela Feingold are just such underdogs. They are people of worth and strength. They are people of integrity and character. They are people of ability and intelligence. I would take them in my life boat any day. It saddens me to see them threatened as they surely have been in fighting this subpoena.

Just because you’re an underdog doesn’t mean that you have to stay down. The Feingolds have lots of abilities and capabilities. They have their friends and supporters who will surely continue to support them financially. They have their integrity. They have their intelligence. And they have the many, many community people who may not know them as well as I do, but who still wish them well.

The Feingolds have blessed Henderson with a gift. They have leveled a lot of the playing fields around here. Because of them, we all know more about our own government than we ever have before. Because of them we all know what questions to ask. Because of them we have seen the underbelly of a bad Henderson and the redemptive side of a compassionate Henderson. We are all better because they have put forth a great effort to help all the people around here.

To them, I say thank you, and you deserve a good rest! If this mess with Hester puts the blog out of business, then you went down fighting and you did not desert the ship. For this we are grateful.

And as a teacher of 35 years, I can also say that the Feingolds’ intelligence and creativity is rare around here, and the city has few that can match them in this regard. If we lose this voice, then ask not for whom the bell tolls, because it tolls for Henderson.

Feingolds, we trust you, we appreciate you, and we are indebted to you. Now, carry on, or not — you have served us well and done your part.