01-04-2009, 10:22 AM
JWFITZ asks Do you really believe that personal civic involvement or government in general even remains relevant to our future?
Sure. This is not a matter of starry-eyed ditzy naiveté versus world-weary hardheaded cynicism, imho, but rather of good 'ol healthy common sense versus the erosive poisons of apathy & ennui. Government, for better or for worse --and most especially government at the local level-- is ENTIRELY of the people, by the people, and for the people. There is no "Them" figuring meaningfully in the local equation, only "Us" (or, at least, we benefit most by operating as if this is true until we can make it so, versus holding ourselves as being the mere powerless victims of others' machinations). We the people determine the quality of our local government directly in proportion to how involved and active we are or are not. We get exactly what we pay for, and the coin of that payment is involvement.
As Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever does.” She is correct.
Yes, to be sure, there are larger currents and forces both economic and climatic over which we have little to no significant influence, try as we might, but local government is within our sphere of direct influence as long as we do not buy into the disempowering notion of being ineffectual regardless of involvement. Massive evidence clearly supports the truth that when local people --especially in large numbers-- become deeply involved with issues and processes of local governance then the local government is transformed, often quite swiftly, in response to this constructive involvement.
We still have enough time and resources to prep well for almost anything a potentially adverse future may bring, but this is not going to happen by folks withdrawing themselves from collective effort and disregarding the tools of democratic self-government. Winston Churchill was probably as correct as is Margaret Mead when he said "Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried." Even cumbersome tools are better than no tools at all when work urgently needs to be done. Regardless of what a perhaps increasingly uncertain future may bring, our best prospect for positive results with today's current issues comes via broad civic involvement: from neighbor working together with neighbor (as via organized Neighborhood Watch programs) to community advocacy groups (such as Friends of Puna's Future) to supporting and interacting vigorously with governmental agencies like the police and Council.
Edit: JWFITZ, thanks for the clarifications of 13:39:14 and 14:11:33 to your original question -posted while I was composing this note, above, online. Makes sense to me.
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"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
Pres. John Adams, Scholar and Statesman
"There's a scientific reason to be concerned and there's a scientific reason to push for action. But there's no scientific reason to despair."
NASA climate analyst Gavin Schmidt
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Sure. This is not a matter of starry-eyed ditzy naiveté versus world-weary hardheaded cynicism, imho, but rather of good 'ol healthy common sense versus the erosive poisons of apathy & ennui. Government, for better or for worse --and most especially government at the local level-- is ENTIRELY of the people, by the people, and for the people. There is no "Them" figuring meaningfully in the local equation, only "Us" (or, at least, we benefit most by operating as if this is true until we can make it so, versus holding ourselves as being the mere powerless victims of others' machinations). We the people determine the quality of our local government directly in proportion to how involved and active we are or are not. We get exactly what we pay for, and the coin of that payment is involvement.
As Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever does.” She is correct.
Yes, to be sure, there are larger currents and forces both economic and climatic over which we have little to no significant influence, try as we might, but local government is within our sphere of direct influence as long as we do not buy into the disempowering notion of being ineffectual regardless of involvement. Massive evidence clearly supports the truth that when local people --especially in large numbers-- become deeply involved with issues and processes of local governance then the local government is transformed, often quite swiftly, in response to this constructive involvement.
We still have enough time and resources to prep well for almost anything a potentially adverse future may bring, but this is not going to happen by folks withdrawing themselves from collective effort and disregarding the tools of democratic self-government. Winston Churchill was probably as correct as is Margaret Mead when he said "Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried." Even cumbersome tools are better than no tools at all when work urgently needs to be done. Regardless of what a perhaps increasingly uncertain future may bring, our best prospect for positive results with today's current issues comes via broad civic involvement: from neighbor working together with neighbor (as via organized Neighborhood Watch programs) to community advocacy groups (such as Friends of Puna's Future) to supporting and interacting vigorously with governmental agencies like the police and Council.
Edit: JWFITZ, thanks for the clarifications of 13:39:14 and 14:11:33 to your original question -posted while I was composing this note, above, online. Makes sense to me.
)'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'(
"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
Pres. John Adams, Scholar and Statesman
"There's a scientific reason to be concerned and there's a scientific reason to push for action. But there's no scientific reason to despair."
NASA climate analyst Gavin Schmidt
)'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'(
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Astonishing skill! This archer is a real-life Legolas and then some!
http://geekologie.com/2013/11/real-life-...rs-anc.php
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Astonishing skill! This archer is a real-life Legolas and then some!
http://geekologie.com/2013/11/real-life-...rs-anc.php
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] Thanks for the picture and story.