Responsibility to our Community

is my ‘civic duty’; your ‘civic duty’. It is each person’s responsibility to understand the social, economic, cultural and environmental issues which face their community; and be involved at some level to meet those responsibilities. Casting a vote, is one single act of this responsibility…however, it must not end there! Government creates a foundation for our communities; people build the rest.

In the words of Anna Lord,  2008 candidate for Colorado State Representative.

“Colorado’s children need a first class higher education system. For many years, Colorado’s higher education system has been strip-mined of resources, leading to higher tuition rates and decreased financial aid. I will support the investment in our higher education system not only to protect the future of our children, but also to ensure the future prosperity of our economy.”

Unfortunately, Anna did not win the election.  I hope she will run again. She is an individual who will work towards putting Education in it’s proper priority!  And I promise to participate on some level to make sure I do my share in this enormous responsibility to our community.

Clear Direction

I like the direction Anna wants to take Colorado. Putting education at the forefront shows she understands the proper priority for our community and society as a whole.  All governments’ need to invest in the highest level of education for every individual. We need to shift our priorities; placing education at the top!

First Class Educational System

What do you think a first class education looks like? Not allowing everyone access to the highest level of education, builds a population of unfortunate. It has been societies habit to build on the backs of the unfortunate! What would our society look like if everyone had the highest level of education?

Natick Community Organic Farm, South Natick, MA, is an interesting example of how a suburb is, with the help of philanthropy keeping its rural values and heritage alive in educating its children. The Natick Community Organic Farm is a non-profit, certified organic farm providing productive open space, farm products, and hands-on education for all ages, year-round. The Farm has been committed to offering programs to schools to enhance classroom learning for over 20 years. This historic Farm, in the midst of a suburban landscape, provides a unique opportunity for local school children to connect with the abundant knowledge needed for producing the food that fuels us. All of our programs allow students the opportunity to participate in and observe activities that are part of a working, productive farm. Our programs bring classroom subjects to life, connecting learning with the wide ecological community of which we are all a part. The Farm is an exciting laboratory for understanding and appreciating our interconnected world.

Shifting our Priorities

The schools’ in Natick, MA have made Natick Community Organic Farm part of the schools’ curriculum. Shifting our priorities and establishing similar schools throughout the country would bring education to it’s rightful place. It’s not a pipe dream! Natick Community Organic Farm is making it happen, and have been doing so for some 20 years!  We can shift our priorities by putting people into office who will champion these kinds’ of causes…and by taking our share of responsibility along the way.

Intensity of Focus

Another example: one need only look at the success of one man’s ‘intensity of focus’. He worked with governments, politicians, presidents, industry and movie stars. His ability to control the masses and shape America’s social, cultural, economical and environmental development over the last century is unprecedented: Edward L. Bernays influenced the masses of the world for a century! His psychology is used today as a model for controlling the masses.

Responsible Human

What would our society look like if we had criteria for being a responsible human to the planet? Education, of course, at the top of the list! How many jobs could be created if this were so?  What would our environment look like? How much greater would our understanding of the interconnectedness of the world be? It is time for the Industrial Revolution to put on their breaks; mass production has had its share. Mindless consumerism is bankrupting the planet! Selling the nation on war is not a healthy solution to any circumstance. We can no longer afford our obsession with the acquisition of wealth. We need more green industry and green jobs. There are those who have no problem with the direction (global warming and species extinction) we are headed; it’s a natural occurrence in their eyes.  My image of the future is somewhat different. I believe in preservation and the importance of biodiversity on this planet. Wealth must take on a new image. Our new obsession: Healing life…in all its forms.  Making Education our nations top priority will develop our consciousness about the interconnectedness of the world and will stop our ‘cutting off our noses, despite our face’.

Practice makes Perfect

We need only put the same intensity of focus to a much greater goal: Organizing and planning steps that promote a sustainable world. The process begins at each of our doors; no matter how large are small those doors might be. Practice makes perfect: with all the century or so practice the government, corporations and industry has had controlling the masses, with Edward Bernays at the helm; shifting our priority to education should be a snap! Doing so will take education to a whole new level…which of course is disparately needed! Doing so would create an “understanding and appreciating our interconnected world”.

Happy Educational Trails!