Everyone is counting the days till November when Philadelphians will have to hit the streets once again to pick who will serve as the next mayor of the city. At the moment, two names are leading that charge. These are Cherelle Parker of the Democratic Party and David Oh of the Republican Party.

As we all know, the city can have only one mayor so we have to make a tough but necessary decision between these two individuals.

Now, while both individuals may never have served as mayor so their abilities in that capacity cannot accurately be judged, the fact remains that several elements in their history can be used to make very valuable inferences here.

In saying this, let’s start with the, in my humble opinion, far less ideal candidate for mayor of Philadelphia in this race. If we’re talking facts, there is really only one reason why anyone would willingly vote for a candidate like Cherelle Parker at this point. And, that reason is if you’re perfectly content with the current situation of things in the city at this time.

Whether we like to admit it or not, the bitter truth remains that #Parker is a product of the base and mindless institutional and empire-building politics that has become the norm in Philadelphia today. What makes her situation all the more interesting though is the fact that, unlike those before her, she has made precious little attempt to conceal her utter contempt for the people.

This is evidenced in the fact that, even now, with only a few short weeks to D-day, Parker still vehemently refuses to come out and publicly engage her opponent in any debate. The message she’s sending is crystal clear to those willing to listen; she has secured the hearts and minds of those who are relevant when she won the primary election. And, because of that, not only is the main election a foregone conclusion, but there really is no need to actually share her thoughts and opinions (if she even has any) with the vast population of the city.

With her actions, she effectively makes a mockery of the election process in Philadelphia.

Yet on the other hand, we have David Oh, someone who never misses an opportunity to share his visions and goals for the city with any who would listen. He has repeatedly called for a debate or public forum meeting with Parker for several months now, not because he’s chasing any form of clout. Instead, it’s because he believes that these types of gatherings offer the best platform to truly see what the issues the everyday Philadelphian faces are instead of just making assumptions from afar.

In his words, “The important thing is that anyone who is running for mayor who wants to be in charge of the city should go before the people, to answer their questions, receive their criticism and talk about what their priorities are.”

We shouldn’t get so used to getting steamrolled that we forget that it’s our fundamental right to not just be listened to but also to be heard. Our voice needs to start to matter again. It needs to start to count for something again. And, so far, just one mayoral candidate seems to even acknowledge this simple reality.

Oh also has something else that works greatly in his favor here; he has a long history of putting himself on the line to ensure the betterment of those around him.

Coming fresh out of Law School, he didn’t hesitate to throw himself right into the thick of things, serving as an assistant to the # Philadelphia District Attorney, a role which he held for three years.

He quit in the fourth year, but only to join the #Army National Guard and serve for another three years. It was at this point that he truly started turning his full attention to making the city into the best version of itself that it could be. He first opened a law firm and not too long after, launched two bids to work for Philadelphia from the City Council, neither of which succeeded.

Things changed on his third attempt when he won the election to become an At-large member of the Philadelphia City Council in 2012, becoming the first Asian-American to accomplish this feat in the process. Since that time, the zest that he brings to tackling various affairs relating to the city has been well documented. He has even come to be hated for some of the good work that he does, and for the fact that he’s always willing to speak the truth, no matter whose horse is gored.

Given the opportunity to serve as the mayor of the city, Oh has a well-defined list of priorities. He’s coming in hot and strong to set all that’s wrong with the city right.

At the top of the list of critical issues that he plans to speedily address once he enters office is the soaring rate of crime in what used to be a peaceful and tranquil city. Speaking with the #Committee of Seventy, Oh was unequivocal in his stance to tackle crime to the fullest extent of the law. As someone who has lived in Philadelphia all his life, the situation of crime in the city isn’t a distant and incomprehensible fact to him; it’s something that he lives with constantly, just like every other Philadelphian.

The fact that the rate of crime in the city is nearly 62% that of the national average is alarming. What’s more, the former councilman was once stabbed during an attempted robbery not so long ago. As such, he sees more than most the imminent danger of leaving this matter unchecked.

Beyond making Philadelphia safe and livable again, Oh plans to channel considerable efforts into building good schools and creating more job opportunities within the city.

Oh presents the visage of the kind of leadership that we need right now; one that leads from the front.

It’s high time something truly changed.

Let’s give David Oh a chance to initiate that change.