Though less than 60 days into the year 2009 we awake to a world facing challenges inviting each of us to contribute to creating solutions needed to solve each of these challenges honestly and equitably. Not easily done when for the most part we do not as yet even know the true nature of these challenges as we have been content to be treated as nothing more than a crop of mushrooms, kept in the dark and fed a constant diet of genuine bull shit. If “we” really want to be part of the change this paradigm must change and change right now.
In Arizona we can begin by querying all government from a position of full open disclosure accepting nothing else what are the facts on issues of education especially – K thru 12 – and asking college students if given an honest choice would they support less fun and games, less college football and hoops, investing instead in those courses which they determine will give the best chance in our changing world economy…?
Laying out with no fingers crossed our current Arizona state water inventory and to the extent we are able delineate equitably how this water is to be used today, tomorrow and with whatever crystal-ball we evoke the future too.
What’s the real status of our air…? How polluted and what’s in it, do we even know…? What does it take to clean it up and how quickly can it be done…? Yes, there is a cost and we need to know..?
I read or think I do but quite frankly I must confess for me all I see is an Arizona economy intrinsically tied to simply building houses and not much more. This does not appear to me to be fundamentally sustainable in desert environment with limited water resources, but may be you can prove me incorrect…?
In the movie … The American President … Michael Douglas plays the role of Andrew Shepherd, as President of the USA and speaks these edited words at a press conference setting in the movie … I’ve been here three years and three days, and I can tell you without hesitation: Being President of this country is entirely about character … Why would a senator, his party’s most powerful spokesman choose to reject upholding the Constitution? If you can answer that question, folks, then you’re smarter than I am …. America isn’t easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, ’cause it’s gonna put up a fight. It’s gonna say “You want free speech? Let’s see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who’s standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. . I’ve known him for years, and I’ve been operating under the assumption that the reason he devotes so much time and energy to shouting at the rain was that he simply didn’t get it. Well, I was wrong. His problem isn’t that he doesn’t get it. His problem is that he can’t sell it! We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you, he is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things only: making you afraid of it and telling you who’s to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections. You gather a group of middle-aged, middle-class, middle-income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family and American values and character … We’ve got serious problems, and we need serious people, and if you want to talk about character … If you want to talk about character and American values, fine. Just tell me where and when, and I’ll show up. This is a time for serious people”…
The fundamental question on the table waiting for us to answer individually and collectively is … are we serious about change…? If “we” want change are we willing to get off our couches and off our butts and get involved, not be willing under any conditions to let anyone to pull the wool over our eyes..?
Are “we” serious people or are “we” that crop of mushrooms they’ve grown use to cultivating…?
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… “they must find it difficult, those who have taken authority as the truth, rather than truth as the authority” … G. Massey, Egyptologist
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“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world…indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.” … Margaret Mead
… People should never be afraid of their government, government should always be afraid of the people …
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Website address for Paul F. Miller’s blog …. http://waterman99.wordpress.com/2009
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And let me be even a bit bolder, I am most willing to present and discuss any water issue before any audience in Arizona where open full disclosure and two way dialog is permitted.
Respectfully submitted,
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