A core premise of this blog (and this may be a 'duh') is that Really Taking America Back requires a critical-mass majority of Americans coming together as an effective political force...which in turn requires the development and promotion of Common Ground to trump the cynical Wedge Issues trotted out every election season to keep us divided.
So I'm selling Common Ground. I had a particularly good opportunity to do it in front of about 100 Medford (Oregon) Rotarians yesterday at their weekly lunch meeting. This club was not exactly my cheering section when I was a tree-hugging County Commissioner some years ago, so I really wanted to engage them with this. Here's what I told them. What do you think?
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2 comments:
I think that my mother who is a "baby boomer" did actually leave me something of great value. The sacrifices she made are different than the ones made by my grandparents, but are just as valuable. It took me a long time to figure this blessing out, I believed she had cursed me instead.
Today I cannot believe she made it through her time, and understand what it took to do this. My gratitude is very deep.
I am grateful for my mother and all the "baby boomers" what they have offered to my generation is as good as any generation before them and better because my job is to transform it into value for my time and I only hope that I can match her effort.
Perhaps the baby boomers cannot see what they have already done, and us younger generations need to say, you know, take a break, be kind to yourself, see if you can appreciate what you have surmounted and what that action has left behind for others behind you. It really is useful, and your work is already done.
I learned thrift from my parents, who in the 50s raised two children on a salary of about $400/mo. and had a few rental rooms. The only times I couldn't understand my parents' frugality were when relatively affluent parents of my friends and classmates spent a lot on high-fashion clothes or other unnecessary items. It took maturity and managing a weekly food budget of $10, when first married, to show me what values were really important.
The only thing that can make rational sacrifice a problem is competing with others, not wanting to have less than they have.
Regarding the galloping toward fuel/energy efficiency, isn't it amazing that we rarely have it pointed out that 40 mpg is a basic standard in the EU? When I read what Congress wanted to do to raise cafe standards, I had to reread again and again to be sure I wasn't misunderstanding.
Reminds me: call legislators
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