Paul Costello: Democracy and community leadership

Editor’s note: This commentary is by Paul Costello, the executive director of the Vermont Council on Rural Development.
Yeah, these are disturbing times.
During this period of political division and antagonism nationally — when the ideals of democracy are undermined and skepticism is rampant, and when social media blasts us with endless iterations of bad news — our own faith in the power and future of democracy can be challenged.
Maybe that’s healthy.
It reminds us that d