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Originally Posted by garinda
Bill, everyone has a right to question those that have put themselves up for public office. It's called democracy. What that person does or doesn't do for the community is totally irrelevant, as most people I know go about that sort of thing quietly, without the need to make a big song and dance about it, and if they do that shows something lacking in character in my opinion.
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Certainly it is fine to ask if those in public office are doing a good job - or if someone else might do better. It is also fine to question those in office about a problem that you see.
But there are still a couple of issues. I've never believed that government should do everything. There are some things government can and should do, like schools and roads, for instance. There are other things that individuals or businesses can do better.
Also, from a purely personal point of view, I find it rewarding to work on improving my community. When a group of us accomplish something, we get a sense of accomplishment and self-empowerment. We also discover that we can make a lot more things happen - in part because we find we can personally accomplish more, in part because people see our success and want to lend a hand, and in part ecause our accomplishments help us to gain the cooperation of our the local government.
Garinda, it's not a matter of papering things over or having a rosy outlook. It's a matter of being positive enough to believe that I can drive changes. It's been my experience that folks who are consistently negative have a much harder time getting improvements made. I can recognize problems as well as anyone else, believe me, and there are plenty of things that could be improved. I just prefer to recognize them with an eye towards changing some of them.
Some personal reflections on how I choose to live. Works for me, but it is a very personal choice - your mileage may vary! I would be a very unhappy, miserable S.O.B. of a fellow indeed if I found my environs to hold little or nothing worthwhile and also felt that there was little I could do to improve things. On the other hand, if I can find some good things around me (and they can be anywhere in the range from the spectacular to very simple pleasures, like conversing with friends or singing sily songs in the front garden, drink in hand, on a Summer evening) and feel empowered to improve some of the not-so-good things, I find life to be fulfilling. As a result, that's how I choose to live. Given the sad events in my life this last year, with Eileen's death, this approach has helped me to keep moving forward and begin the healing process as well.