My Dream
I am amazed by the wisdom of individuals from every walk of life. So often, folks make observations that I wish the world could hear. The disconnect between the heartless repetition of strife and disagreement that has become the public conversation just seems at odds with how people actually deal with their friends and neighbors in communities all over the United States. So, I wanted to get a bit elemental, to push beyond the rhetoric of partisan politics. I began to wonder – what is this experiment that we call America? How do we think about the society we have created? What kind of governance do we want? I am tired of clichés and talking points. What do real people really think? Finally, here on AOMD, we will get to hear these profound thoughts!
The First Stop
AOMD’s first stop is Chicago. Chicago is an amazing and vibrant city full of all of the wonders and challenges that large urban centers experience. It is also a mecca for mobile Midwesterners who relocate here after college. There are a lot of folks here from Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Iowa, Minnesota just to name a few. Our first group of citizen philosophers (whom you can see) is a motley crew – different ages, genders, perspectives. That’s our goal. Get folks together who may or may not know each other and have them talk about their very individual notions of the role of our government and their own rights and responsibilities.
Our Challenge
Our challenge is to consider the role of government and the rights and responsibilities of citizens. It’s not as obvious as it might seem. As we begin our discussions, we’ve asked our citizen philosophers to think about the kind of society they prefer to live in and then to talk about how that society is created through government. Their ideas. We may all have different ideas, and that’s our right. We will be wading through the discussion looking for common threads and what we believe is a uniquely American consensus.
A Few Conclusions
Well, our first group was just incredible. I really wasn’t sure how the conversation would flow or if we would lop over into the toxicity that surrounds us. Each member had a distinct set of ideas, but there were some areas of consensus. As we began to talk, we each realized that the very idea of having a discussion about what the government ‘should’ be doing was a mark of the nature of our democracy; in a dictatorship, our thoughts would not be relevant, but in a democracy of the people, we probably don’t spend enough time thinking about these issues.
Doing What Individuals Can’t Do
Overall, philosophically, one member set the table with the idea that the government needs to do what individuals can’t do. Some problems are too big for an individual to solve on his or her own, but governing bodies can manage these larger challenges – like infrastructure, education, healthcare and national security.
Fairness
There was agreement on an idea of fairness, that mostly we are a country of law abiding, tax paying, hard working people and that perhaps our governmental bodies have lost sight of the need to be sure that there is a fair shot for everyone. The government needs to be involved in maintaining this fairness, and this translated into putting governmental resources into education, infrastructure, national security and healthcare.
Trusting the Government
The closer the governmental body got to the locale, the more people trusted it. Although there was a general sense that our political leaders and hence units of government had lost sight of their role in serving the people, the citizen philosophers (CPs) wanted to close that gap. It feels better to the CPs if government folks are motivated out of duty, not a big pay day at the end.
The Most Vulnerable Among Us
Each person said it in different ways, but everyone agreed that caring for the most vulnerable among us is the most important function of government. Basic preventive healthcare, education, taking care of the elderly, and teaching self-reliance are seen as the foundation of building a society that would prosper and create opportunity. Even if the ties between us seem distant at times, folks recognize a kind of moral or human obligation toward each other. Government, along with religious and community institutions, are how we can deliver on this promise.
Join us!
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