It didn’t start out so great. In fact, a case could be made that the United States was born a mistake, and our life as a people has been one of struggle to get it right.
Kamala Harris has run a brilliant 100 day campaign that gave voice to our belief in and need for democracy. She has my enduring admiration and support and gratitude.
An inspiring work in progress, indeed. One wrong we have not and perhaps cannot right is that done to Native Americans. We certainly are not trying hard enough.
There have always been more good guys than bad. Our challenge is that we have let the bad guys shout louder and complain more than the American citizens who go out every day and work hard and try to do good for their fellow citizens. It's time to shut down the loud naysayers and the "gimme, gimme, gimme crowd" and start rowing together in the same direction which includes seriously cutting government spending and getting our financial affairs in order. Our elected officials need to do the big ones, "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America" and stop with all of the give-away stuff. Might sound a bit harsh but if we want our Posterity to enjoy those blessings of Liberty without being saddled with insurmountable debt, then we need to get tough now and get with it. I am all for paying additional taxes if it goes specifically for reducing the National Debt and getting our financial affairs squared away at the National level. We can do this; each state has to balance their budget so why don't our National level elected officials have the backbone to do the same? Let's elect National level leaders with spines and show the bad guys out there how its done.
We cursed ourselves and those around us by turning our heads from poverty and need, but we took steps beginning with Social Security for the aged and programs like food stamps and Women and Infant Children for the young, and with a continuing series of experiments to deal with this intractable problem, we’re still trying to get it right, and the struggle to help the needy among us continues. (please re-read this statement) Now, what do you want us to eliminate? If we get the wealthy to pay THEIR FAIR share, we can afford to help our neighbors.
i am 70. i have seen our country make a lot of mistakes. i have never once doubted until this cycle that our nation would survive our mistakes. now, i just don't know. what i do know is that i will get up before dawn, set up my camera, and wait for the hummingbirds to arrive.
the hummingbirds arrived with the sunlight this morning. they will leave with the daylight. i know this for certain today. it's where i am staying. i have also been clean and sober through AA for 30 years. if the mistake is made today, my job is to keep my sobriety intact.
Other than the absolutes of the sun rising in the east and the fact we all have a shelf life, the journey will continue by those who follow us. Not even the 1927 Yankees got it right permanently. They lost a fair number of games along the way even though most baseball folks think pound for pound, they are the greatest baseball team that ever played. As another one of my old coaches said, "just keep running that play until you get it right."
Just proves the meme correct: democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time. We always try to get it right...
Your words are an inspiration for what is transpiring tomorrow. Fingers crossed we can begin to put some of this nightmare behind us, begin to heal, and move forward.
Love this. Sobering and optimistic at the same time. Now I'm going to pet my cats
Kamala Harris has run a brilliant 100 day campaign that gave voice to our belief in and need for democracy. She has my enduring admiration and support and gratitude.
Let’s hope we sort this out this time. The option is too grim to consider.
VOTE like your lives depend on it.
Because our lives DO depend on it.
I've taken to saying that the U.S. is an "aspirational democracy." Your column explains exactly what I mean by that.
Beautiful, profound and hopeful! Thanks!
An inspiring work in progress, indeed. One wrong we have not and perhaps cannot right is that done to Native Americans. We certainly are not trying hard enough.
My thoughts also. There is a lot we can learn from our indigenous communities
Your words are always important and inspiring. Thank you.
There are more good guys than bad and when we vote, WE WIN! Good reminders Lucian.
There have always been more good guys than bad. Our challenge is that we have let the bad guys shout louder and complain more than the American citizens who go out every day and work hard and try to do good for their fellow citizens. It's time to shut down the loud naysayers and the "gimme, gimme, gimme crowd" and start rowing together in the same direction which includes seriously cutting government spending and getting our financial affairs in order. Our elected officials need to do the big ones, "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America" and stop with all of the give-away stuff. Might sound a bit harsh but if we want our Posterity to enjoy those blessings of Liberty without being saddled with insurmountable debt, then we need to get tough now and get with it. I am all for paying additional taxes if it goes specifically for reducing the National Debt and getting our financial affairs squared away at the National level. We can do this; each state has to balance their budget so why don't our National level elected officials have the backbone to do the same? Let's elect National level leaders with spines and show the bad guys out there how its done.
Tax the fucking billionaires and corporations already!
We cursed ourselves and those around us by turning our heads from poverty and need, but we took steps beginning with Social Security for the aged and programs like food stamps and Women and Infant Children for the young, and with a continuing series of experiments to deal with this intractable problem, we’re still trying to get it right, and the struggle to help the needy among us continues. (please re-read this statement) Now, what do you want us to eliminate? If we get the wealthy to pay THEIR FAIR share, we can afford to help our neighbors.
Which federal government spending do you want to cut?
Well, said Lucian, well said!
Blessings,Lucian, and thanks for all your doing for the American people and Democracy. Will reStack ASAP 💯👍🇺🇲💙🌊
i am 70. i have seen our country make a lot of mistakes. i have never once doubted until this cycle that our nation would survive our mistakes. now, i just don't know. what i do know is that i will get up before dawn, set up my camera, and wait for the hummingbirds to arrive.
If Trump wins I'm not sure we deserve to survive the mistake.
the hummingbirds arrived with the sunlight this morning. they will leave with the daylight. i know this for certain today. it's where i am staying. i have also been clean and sober through AA for 30 years. if the mistake is made today, my job is to keep my sobriety intact.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nhcD61tMNs&t=80s
Bravo!
How about if we stop getting it wrong and get it right permanently? All this conflict is exhausting and a huge drain on civilization.
True but it's the trying that makes us what we are...a journey that can't end.
Other than the absolutes of the sun rising in the east and the fact we all have a shelf life, the journey will continue by those who follow us. Not even the 1927 Yankees got it right permanently. They lost a fair number of games along the way even though most baseball folks think pound for pound, they are the greatest baseball team that ever played. As another one of my old coaches said, "just keep running that play until you get it right."
We need the option to keep working on it.
Full bore, no Trump!
Vote Blue.And keep with the struggle to get it more and more right…
Just proves the meme correct: democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time. We always try to get it right...
To borrow from Winston Churchill,
"Success is not final,
Failure is not fatal;
It is the courage to continue that counts."
So, as the USC Trojan football team likes to say, "Fight On!"
Your words are an inspiration for what is transpiring tomorrow. Fingers crossed we can begin to put some of this nightmare behind us, begin to heal, and move forward.
Candidate quality is what we should be looking for up and down the ballot from local County Board of Supervisors to the highest office in the land.
Bravo Lucian! Well said, my friend, well said!