We need to improve our ability to govern. Let's do it.
Of, By, and For
We have the responsibility to govern ourselves for ourselves because no one else can or will. Remember that near our beginning we decided to have a government of, by, and for us. Mostly because we did not want to be governed by king or church, but including the reason above.
We
There are a variety of ways we can begin to learn to govern ourselves better. One is to notice that we are not now doing it as well as could be done. Another is to discover that we can be a better we. Remember that near our beginning we wanted to become a more perfect union. Another way could be to try to better understand the nature of government and governance.
We Can Take a Step
We could also realize that beginning is just taking a purposeful step. We might also realize the reality of what I said that my aunt said. As I remember she said that "The beginning is the half of the way." This means that beginning is to improve our ability to govern ourselves goes a long way towards actually improving that ability.
The First Step Can be Half the Trip
That first step need not be perfect. We do need to pay some attention to it so that we can learn from it. It can be a tiny step or a large step in the wrong direction. We can learn from either one and be long way on the way of our purpose. Each little step can serve us well and that first little step is a great doing.
We Can
We can do much. We can be aware of what we are doing and why we are doing it. We have the ability to learn. We can do.
Questions Can Get Us Started
We can ask and we can answer. We can notice that one question or answer can be better than another.
Below are few examples of questions. Any one of them can spark a move toward the improvement of our ability to govern. I believe that you can ask a more useful question I think I might too.
Make some effort to keep "of, by, and for" in mind as you read these questions:
~ How's our air?
~ What do we (I) know about how our local water problems are being solve?
~ How many minute a year do I have to devote to our governance?
~ Why do bond issues, which increase our common debt, keep being passed?
~ How many hours of mine can I use for government this year?
~ Who knows what is going on here?
~ As we lapse into local ignorance what is becoming of us?
~ Who learns to do that which needs doing?
~ What's democracy?
~ How is democracy done?
~ What's a really good way of doing it?
~ How do you keep in touch with the doings of my town, city, county, neighborhood which touch my life?
~ With whom do we talk it over.
~ How can we develop a common understanding of that which is important to us now?
~ Who are we?
~ Do you want more questions?
~ How might we get some useful answers.
~ What can we do as a we.
~ What are we doing together now?
~ What important doing, which seems not very difficult to do, are we not doing.
~ What is a useful step which could take soon, were we willing.
~ Could you think of a real step which you could take?
~ What now links public officials to voters.
~ Do you have any answers?
~ How do we talk it over?
I have more questions and a couple of answers, but I am getting tired now. On this blog and elsewhere I hope to answer a question and to look beyond that answer.
I hope you will find a way to answer or ask a question with the "comments" app a the bottom of a post on any of these related blogs. I haven't been getting comments on content recently and believe that I would enjoy getting a few.
There are apps, posts, essays, and videos at this blogsite and on each of the associated sites you welcome to check out.
Thank you for reading.
rcs