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Not really one nation anymore

6/28/2017

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I wrote this message to “Informed Electorate” - (votethewill.org)  the people who call me with a recorded 60 second survey question every week or so.  .After answering a question when they called this morning, I just couldn’t hold this in anymore, so I went to their web site and wrote:

“I’m already a survey participant.  I answer the question each call, but I must say, I believe that the most important issue facing us is that a nation of 325 million people is largely ungovernable as a single entity.  We can debate policy and personalities on the federal level ad infinitum but I don't think it will help that much.  To me, we are, in the words of Trevor Noah, more like a continent than a single country.  I strongly believe that we are not going to "put Humpty Dumpty back together again."  More and more, we are making more positive, progressive changes at the smallest levels - the village, the town, the city, and sometimes the state.  Both in government and in many non-government organizations.  We are a "continent," if you will, that's just way too diverse and too populous to find agreement on many issues anymore.  I think this is the true reason for 'gridlock' in Congress and why we have a 'protest' candidate now serving as President.  We are divided not because of lack of will or flaw in our constitution or evil intent on the part of our elected representatives.  We are divided because it is no longer practical or prudent to attempt to remain a single national entity.  Instead, I feel we must recognize the limitations with regard to what can be done in Washington D.C. anymore and find new ways to network with each other more directly, support more local decision making power, and direct our attention to living in harmony with nature and each other.
So, although I will still answer the phone when you call, I think the whole thing is of limited use.  Thank you for listening.”
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Staying calm and optimistic in today's news headlines cyclone

6/23/2017

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Bad news travels easily. It gets the heart racing; the sense of alarm stirs the adrenaline. Good news often takes a back seat.

I have found that keeping my sanity takes at least two things.  One, I take time to step back from it all and keep breathing.  Two, I pay better attention to what’s going well, where progress is being made, and where relationships in my personal life are going well.

Oh, and one more thing.  I think of all people as inherently good, who sometimes do things that are unfortunate.  I’ll admit it.  I’m one such person.  I sometimes do things that are unfortunate.  Then, I have to see what I’ve done, make amends if I can, and see if I can forgive myself.

Stan Dale reportedly said, “Everything is either an act of love or a cry for love.”  I think that’s pretty close to the truth.  And we have Marshall Rosenberg, Philip Zimbardo, James Gilligan, Chip and Dan Heath, and others to back that up.

At first, some of those people (referred to by the links above) might not seem to directly follow my quote from Stan. But nonetheless, they are all authors and works I have investigated, and it has helped me realize some important aspects of humanity I never heard about in school.

Every day, millions of people do good things for other people and themselves, and none of it makes news headlines.  That doesn't stop them.  They'll get up tomorrow morning and keep doing good things for each other, regardless of reports of bad behavior spreading through the airwaves.

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    Glenn Koenig is the manager of this and other web sites, an author, video producer, database designer, and volunteer.

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