Practice Governance Together

Little "d'' democrats

 

            In the distant past there were democrats. There were democrats in the recent past. There are still some democrats. A democrat might be thought of as a person who believes in people and in their ability to learn and do. I have a sharp memory of that which some democrats did in my lifetime. A good democrat is a active democrat. We can all learn to be more active in governance, in government. We can learn to take better care of ourselves. 

            Democrats have tended to promote certain doings. Some of  those doings tended to be definitive of their beliefs.

Democrats have promoted:

~ enhancement and protection of democracy among us.

 ~ the study of legislation affecting democracy.

~ vigorous ongoing education about the use and doing of democracy.

~ improved communication among political parties and within them.

~ development of widespread leadership rather than super leaders.

~ enhanced education for participation in governance.

~ cooperative self-governance.

~ willingness to thoughtfully and promptly change a bad law for the better.

~ strong respect for our laws.

~ inclusivity  and diversity in public life.

~ cooperation within and among groups.

~ knowledge of the history of democracy including it's  limitations and advantages.

~ respect for the varieties of democracy around the world.

~ our Constitution and it's Bill of Rights.

~ our national Bill of Rights.

~ loving care of 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 for public health.

~ respect for and support of the position of minorities.

~ wide, ongoing educational opportunities for all.

            The above could be suggestive of planks for the platform of a present party or candidate.

            What would you add?

            Thank you for reading.

                                                                               

                                                                                                    by Richard

                                                            

 

Periodista Means Journalist

 Let's start with Platypus

 

                Working from The Pocket Guide of Colombian Hostels, I find that the Casa Platypus is a good place to sleep in Bogota. Bogota is a great big city and the capital of Colombia. The Casa Platypus is a hostel. A hostel is a kind of hotel designed for foreign travelers. It is often a place to get useful information and to have a chance for finding someone who speaks a language you know. The personnel and proprietors these hostels are often welcoming to people from far off lands. You may expect those of the Casa Platypus to be like that.

                The colonial(or republican) style building of the Casa Platypus overlooks a plaza called Parque de las Periodistas.

                "Periodista" can be translated as "Journalist." I find journalists to be an interesting breed which has not quite died out. "Died out" may not quite be the best way to put it. World-wide, journalists see to often to be killed before the can die a natural death."  Assassinate" seems the more honest word.

                Journalists around the world are being assassinated for doing what they can to inform us honestly. They would like to tell us the truth about what they see going on around us. They used to find out about goings on, happenings, and doings, far and wide as well as those close to home. They used to be able to tell us about them without, so often, having to gamble their lives to do so. Today their odds are worse then ever.

                Journalists have carried on their craft for 300 years or so. Some of them are still trying to inform us about that which is going on. However, we have been killing, jailing, imprisoning them, and hiring fewer of them per capita for decades. So now we have fewer of them and they have fewer employers. I remember, as a boy scout, being taught that "honesty is the best policy." Now for our lack of responsibility, or even interest, honesty has become a death sentence for an honest journalist. What are we to tell our children and youth? Is our answer, "nothing?" Shall we say that raising our children in ignorance is for the best? (ignorance of what?)

                Rather than getting the backstory, we get now story at all. Unless it be the watered down fairy-tales some us have come to prefer. We have yet to get from the WWW that which we we had from a widely varied free press.

                There are "Parques de las Periodistas" in other Colombian cities. I know of such a Parque in, the capital city of Antioquia, Medellin.

                This park in the in the Candelaria section of Bogota has been dedicated to a good and careful journalist whom you man know as a famous modern novelist. That novelist is Gabriel Garcia Marques. He is an admirer of those who still practice journalism and has backed up his admiration with solid support.

                In Colombia one finds a good place to sleep and a little backstory.

                Thank you for reading.

                                                                        RCS 

What's to Like in an Organization?

 Some of What I like 

I know that organization increases our power enormously. I know that our organization informs and educates us well.

                    We are capable of forgetting the pleasures and satisfactions  of organization. I expect that the pleasures and satisfactions I am recalling just now will not be the same as yours. Still among mine you may find one or two of yours.

                    I have an interest in ad hoc organizations and and those of longer term.

Below are many of my personal likes in organizations. You may find some of your likes listed.

An organization which attracts me often has:

~ members who feel connected, involve, and respected.

~ the motive of helping me and others to thrive.

~ a clear understanding of costs and benefits.

~ members who promote widespread participation and responsibility.

~ members who embrace reality and who are willing to approach the truth.

~ members who value honesty and justice.

~ a mission I find valuable and pleasing.

~ plenty of talk in which all participate.

An organization which pleases me is one which:

~ Keeps me in the information loop.

~ most members feel well connected with leadership.

~ Makes very clear who pays how much and who gets what.

~ moves in the direction of democracy.

~ tends to be inclusive.

~ tends to safeguard that which I value.

~ includes those who study and promote actions good for me and others.

~ advocates and protects people and process important to me.

~ promotes dialogue which leads to appropriate action.

I find an organization congenial when it includes:

~ teaching the process of organizing.

~ the purpose of advocating and protecting me.

~ objectives very like my own.

~ intelligent, respectful, loving ladies.

                I am very interested in hearing of your likes in organizations. I expect to post more about organization and organizing. Dialogue skills are organizational skills for all participants in society.

                Organizing can be a wonderful move toward governance.

                More as soon as I can.

                Thank you for reading. Take some time to explore this site. Well, you are right here!

                                                                                                            RCS

Our place of prosperity and abundance

We  know how to co-operate. Many of us can learn to co-operate in a reasonably short time, when the motivation is good for us. Could a little town of only 3 or 4 people learn to do that and live very well. What steps might they need to take to do that well? We can choose to do it for ourselves.

                                                                                                        rcs

What's to Like in an Organization

  We know that organization increases our power enormously. We know that our organization informs and educates us well.

                    We are capable of forgetting the pleasures and satisfactions  of organization. I expect that the pleasures and satisfactions I am recalling just now will not be the same as yours. Still among mine you may find one or two of yours.

                    I have an interest in ad hoc organizations and and those of longer term.

                Below are many of my personal likes in organizations. You may find some of your likes listed.

An organization which attracts me often has:

~ members who feel connected, involve, and respected.

~ the motive of helping me and others to thrive.

~ a clear understanding of costs and benefits.

~ members who promote widespread participation and responsibility.

~ members who embrace reality and who are willing to approach the truth.

~ members who value honesty and justice.

~ a mission I find valuable and pleasing.

~ plenty of talk in which all participate.

An organization which pleases me is one which:

~ Keeps me in the information loop.

~ most members feel well connected with leadership.

~ Makes very clear who pays how much and who gets what.

~ moves in the direction of democracy.

~ tends to be inclusive.

~ tends to safeguard that which I value.

~ includes those who study and promote actions good for me and others.

~ advocates and protects people and process important to me.

~ promotes dialogue which leads to appropriate action.

I find an organization congenial when it includes:

~ teaching the process of organizing.

~ the purpose of advocating and protecting me.

~ objectives very like my own.

~ intelligent, respectful, loving ladies. (Excuse my honesty, please.)

                I am very interested in hearing of your likes in organizations. I expect to post more about organization and organizing. Dialogue skills are organizational skills for all participants in society.

                Organizing can be a wonderful move toward governance.

                More as soon as I can.

                Thank you for reading. Make some time to do some exploration among the many posts here.

                                                                                                            RCS

What is good governance? | Ben Warner |

 As you watch and listen listen well and then consider how. Where does good government come from in a democracy? in a republic? Been Warner tells some about what and why, but what about how? How, seems to be up to us. I have thought of a couple of how to practice the skills of citizenship and to participate in our governance. One is show up. The other is find a more complete meaning for the words. 

                So, now we know the good governance is of us, by us, and for us. That includes you and me. We can practice plenty and keep learning. We are the heart, soul, and muscle of city government, town government, county government, state government, and federal government. I is up to learn the skills of government and to practice them. We need to do citizenship and governance.

                I sure is good that there a so many of us. By the time we divide and share the doings of governance the load for each of us can be light. We will have to us what we know about co-operation.

                I want good governance and more good for all of us.

                                                                                            rcs

Governance Questions

 When these ? bore you, offer a couple of your own.

                There is a way to tell me which of these governance questions bore you the least. After reading your comment I hope to respond to it. Then you can tell me where I am missing the point and I will try to pick up the slack. Offer your answer to a question which interests you and I will try to make some kind of response. 

Here are some questions I haven't answered yet:

~ What is the use of Common Law?

~ What is the use of the U. S. Constitution?

~ What punishments are we as a people allowed to inflict?

~ What determines when a trial has not been convened speedily?

~ What is bail?

~ What is excessive bail?

~ What if  I don't have enough money?

~ What is a way I can see that due process is being followed?

~ What is "due process?"

~ What is a Grand Jury?

~ What is a grand Jury for?

~ What is a useful how? when? who? why? or where? question?

 

~ What is a warrant?

~ What is the difference between equality and equity?

~ What's the difference between legal and lawful?

~ What question might lead to an answer of value to you?

~ What is a useful way to support our representative.

~ What must we do to get a representative to support us?

                What we need are some answers.

                Thanks for reading.

                                                                                                        RCS