A State of the Union Address of sorts...

In viewing and participating in numerous threads on ATS I see much in the way of complaints but not much in the way of solutions. It is said that fortune awards the adventurous, the bold and the brave but forgets the coward.

Rather than snipe at each other, whether a member is discussing an opinion, idea or even a party talking point; would it not be more productive and far less aggravating to rationally and calming respond? I have found that only very few people in my life consider me to be an enemy. And on the rare occasion on ATS that someone has marked me a “foe” it is usually made as part of a generalization and the member finds me far more reasonable and thought provoking than they initially thought.

I say these things because I feel that the US is on an edge of development in which there will be many powerful and swift changes to our lifestyle and well being. This goes far beyond the Healthcare Reform (of which a token compromise has happened) and the corporate and banking industries committing acts of larceny in conjunction with the paid members of “representation”.

Right now Americans, as a whole, are blissfully unaware, pacified by television, the internet, video games, movies and music. Some have heard the party talking points and repeat them endlessly and consider themselves to be involved by this distraction. We can see this here on ATS in thread after thread of mantras and misguided attacks and defenses that often are no different than the scripted talking points. I have become so hardened by such threads that unless otherwise engaged, even my initial responses have become uninspired and somewhat canned, bland replies.

It is easy for me to say we should clean up our act as members here, in fact too easy. So much in fact that is would sound little more than cowardly complaining or the parroting of the wishes of the Amigos. For ATS, the best I can do is to continue to write my opinions and thoughts and clarify as needed. But in the real world, I can do far more on the political front. It was, I believe, Confucius that said that in order to complain about the government then one should be part of the government in order to fully understand actions and have a true voice in their directions.

This is not announcement of a candidacy bid. But it is an informal acknowledgment that it is under consideration. This is not a call to arms nor a call to organize any sort of action. But it does mean to stir a revolution and revelation of thought. I ask that you consider your own position and ideologies and be considerate of the positions and ideas around you. Far more powerful than the fist or even the pen is the ability to communicate and join together to communicate with others.

One of my favorite biblical stories is of the Tower of Babel. The idea that people united with a focused goal was so effective and unswayed that God had to confound the people and communication by causing each to speak different languages.

The 2010 mid-term elections while just over a year away, are coming soon. For those that feel they would like to take office and show yourself to be more than all hat and no cattle: Now is the time to look into collecting signatures to have yourself placed on the ballot. To go out to the Tea Parties, Town Halls, public gatherings and events. To talk with people. To show them what you are about and what you stand for and why they should support you. I would hope those seeking such a place and position to be committed to listening to the people and representing their voice. Now is the time to prove that it doesn't take money and resources but to be a person of principals to defeat the entrenched old guard.

But the position of a politician is not for everyone. For those that want a voice to be heard: write, sing, paint, draw....express yourself and represent yourself to the best of your abilities. Make yourself known, appreciated and aware. Make others aware. In other words, evangelize to others to become awakened to the world around them and to participate. To throw down the pacifiers of conformity and invent themselves as they would like to be.

But I am just one voice...what do you have to say?