You can govern yourself. You can govern with others. You can learn about political planks and political platforms, how to do governance, and about political organization. It's about active citizenship, civics, a more perfect union, and we the people. It's about participation. So, the focus of these many posts is on democracy, justice, citizenship, governance, co-operation, and democracy.
I am sorry, YouTube tells me that this Martin Luther King and Gandhi video is no longer available when published in Colombia.
We do not know enough about Martin Luther King and his deep love for our ideals. How many of his hundreds of speeches have you read or listened to? How many in those in the year or so before he was assassinated?
Who governs? When you do not, who does? Check deeply into the meaning of democracy
When you want a democracy, begin to participate. Show up. Show up to have democracy. Democracy is a participatory process which includes participatory decision making. Participation brings better policy. We get more of what we want when we show up. Start close to home, perhaps with schools and learning. The more it interests you the better, Don't wait to be invited, Its your democracy. We can make participation easier by initiating better mechanisms of participation.
Or, by showing up with a friend.
RCS
In the distant past there were democrats. In the recent past there were some democrats. And, there are still some democrats. A democrat might be thought of as one who believes in our ability to learn and to do. I know little about what those who call themselves democrats are doing now. I do have a sharp memory for much of that which democrats have done in the past.
I hope you understand that I am not using the word “democrat” to refer to a member of a political party, but rather to one who holds a certain philosophical position. A Democrat can be a democrat, but she doesn’t have to.
Democrats have tended to promote certain doings. Those doings have tended to be definitive of their beliefs.
Democrats have promoted:
~ improved communications within political organizations and among them.
~ enhancement and protection of democracy among us.
~ the study of legislation affecting democracy.
~ vigorous ongoing education about the use and doing of democracy.
~ development of widespread leadership rather than super-leaders.
~ enhanced education for participation in government.
~ cooperative self-governance.
~ willingness to thoughtfully and promptly change a bad law for the better.
~ strong respect for the law.
~exclusivity and diversity in public life.
~ cooperation within and among groups.
~ knowledge of the history of democracy, including its limitations and advantages.
~ respect for the varieties of democracy around the world.
~ our Constitution at its Bill or Rights.
~ loving care for each and every child.
~ respect and honor for the individual, the family, and the neighborhood.
~ more nearly equal opportunity for access to healthcare for each person.
~ strong support and oversight for our public health systems.
~respect and support for the position of minorities.
~ the practice of better dialogue.
~ wide, ongoing educational opportunities for all.
~ honesty.
This list can be greatly improved. However, there is already enough here to suggests planks for the platform of a present political party or candidate, or, a new party and candidates.
by Richard Sheehan
15.Keeping your sense of humor and having some fun as you remember that political actions can have seriously important consequences.
Thanks for reading citizen!
by Richard Sheehan
for you
We need to redevelop our agile political minds to keep a bit of freedom. Among the critical practices we must learn to practice are governance, and politics. Governing ourselves means taking care of ourselves. Governing ourselves as a culture, society, and political body if not done by us is not done. We learn to take care of ourselves individually. To take care of a culture takes a lot of us and there are a lot of us. Do you really crave to be governed by a person you have never met. Has your club taught you to organize to govern? has your union, your political party, your city council, your uncle, your mother, your father. Have they all abdicated republicanism and democracy? How many civic classes have you been given that teach much more than the bare bones of present government's formal structure how many in organization? How many have you taken? Your education is not given; it must be taken.
We
can agree that "we" is a relationship, can't we? When we agree to
relate it may be good to speak of the level at which we wish to relate.
At what level might it be good for us to relate? We could speak of the
reason for our relationship. How might we go about relating ? Might it
be important that we show our concern for our "we?"
What's in it for you? What's your interest? How is a mutual or reciprocal relationship handled?
A "we" must consist of people, persons, individuals, right? Have you seen
the start of a "we?" Was there a kind of joining? Doesn't a "we" require some kind of maintenance?
What do you suspect, believe, or know about the "we" in the "We the people..." document?
That
"we" could refer to us. How do we go about keeping track of our common
interests? How do we reciprocate? "We the people" are a social
relationship, aren't they?
Let's say that we are the people in the "We the people" we know about.
What is the nature of our relationship? What is reason for our relationship? What's in it for you?
"We"
implies a unity, a union. We can probably agree that better and worse
unions can be detected. How might we form a more perfect union?
You may have some notions of "we" stirring in your mind now.
Communication
is important. Talk, dialogue, discussion are important. Talk of "us"
and "we" may be so important as to be called vitally important.
I say that communication of persons is vitally important for the initiation and maintenance of a "we".
To have a good nation we have to have a good "we".
We can learn.
We can contemplate.
RCS