Author: VisionaryExtraordinaire

You agree with me, right?

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The restaurant was closed where my friend and I were going to meet for breakfast. I called her to create a new plan, watching for her to come from my left. As we talked she said she would turn around. I said but you’re not even here yet. She replied, yes I am, I am on your right.

I was looking for her to come from the scenic route to my left. She chose to come down the main highway on my right. I would take the back roads every time. I love the countryside, get easily tired of highway driving, and would always opt for trees, rivers and cows.

It’s easy to assume everyone thinks like me and shocking at times to find out “they” don’t. It’s time to let go of the idea that politics and religion are taboo topics. This came into being when it was decided that people became too angry and out of control to have a civil conversation.

Civil conversation is what will save this country.

Begin to reach out to those that voted other than you did this year. Not to convince them of your point of view, but to understand their point of view. We need to find common ground. We need to hear about the lives of others and the reasons for their choices. There will be some who will not be able to have a civil conversation and you can walk away from those, but do persist and find people you can talk with – and listen.

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GovTrack.us

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It will be very important to keep track of what the bills and resolutions of congress in the coming administration. This website offers an email service to alert you of all actions taken by your congressperson.

It would be very good if news sources could figure out a way to distill this information for us on their websites. It is a lot to wade through. Write to your preferred new sources asking them to have a webpage or section that deals in what congress is doing.

Then be active in contacting your representatives and other pertinent representatives about what you want and why. This administration will need to hear from all of us. We’ve been caught off guard before, never again.

What is the real problem in America?

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Here is the real problem with the United States of America: Nothing. Ha! I know, you think I’m not living in the real world, but think about this for a minute. We have an amazing system that is the culmination of every failed state that came before it. We have all the right checks and balances, wisdom and grace, to move through the quagmire in which we currently find ourselves. We have strong people that come from a multitude of backgrounds, people who have survived wars, famine, trauma, abuse all the way back to the 1600’s right up to today.

What we don’t have right now is the belief that we can change our world to work for everyone. America has been on a political seesaw that has everyone sick. It’s been the power of Republican vs. Democrat with a few Independents thrown in for good measure. When your side is in power, it seems we can solve problems once and for all. When your side is not in power, fear overwhelms and safety is gone. This is the system that needs to be fixed.

Political Plaid is about all of your voices, all of your ideas brought together, woven into a tapestry to create a foundation where we can build a world to solve problems. Looking at the banner of this website, notice that all the colors remain unique and intertwine with each other. It’s not about blending blue and red to make purple. We are not all the same and I don’t think we want to live in a world without individualism. It’s about being distinct but together.

This is the way forward. We are exhausted from the political tug of war. At this point in time, those in power have the opportunity to keep absolute power if we are not wise and open-minded. It’s time for radical change. It’s time to be keenly aware. It’s time to wake up to what all people are saying. Every side has a point that we would agree with. Time to find our common ground and build from there. America is most importantly a land of the people. All people. Every last one of us needs a place at the table.

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CEO Pay and the Average Worker

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What do you think about CEO pay? In finance, in insurance and in large corporations? Do you believe it’s okay for CEO’s to make hundreds of times more than their employees? Some folks do, they believe we should leave businesses to their own devices. Some folks see that CEO’s struggle to be fair to employees for whatever reason. Where do you come in?

If you agree it’s gotten out of control and is influencing the cost of goods, healthcare and financial markets, let your representative know. This is an important issue for the coming administration that says they are for the people. Inform them what you believe is fair and you want them to solve this problem.

And would some techy type please create an app that tells me who is treating their workers fairly? Thanks!

Teach and Learn

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I bet you have something to offer. I know you have something you could be passing along to others. You have knowledge that would be useful. A different viewpoint from those around you.

We think of people with other points of view as hardened and stuck. Maybe we feel that way about our own stance. If we open up and talk about what we know with folks we don’t normally engage, how might the world change? I know it’s scary because maybe they’ll be a fanatic, or angry, or demeaning but maybe they won’t. Maybe they’ll learn something and maybe you will too.

If people are not listening, sarcastic and rude, closed and angry, then move on. There are people who do want to have this conversation. They may be passionate, they may be wanting to tell you more than listen, but if they listen even a little and you listen even a little, a new connection can lead to greater understanding.

Try talking to someone today who thinks differently than you do. What do you know they might benefit from? What do they know you might benefit from?

Clean Water, Clean Air

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We take clean water and air for granted these days. It seems as if it naturally occurs but this is very far from the truth. The truth is that we have clean water and air because people demanded it in the 1960’s. Smog was commonplace. There were frequent ‘smog days’ when schools had to close because it was too dangerous to go outside. Industry would have gone along its merry way had we not banded together and created the laws to insist on a livable planet.

It’s tempting to want to trust politicians and business to do the right thing. Of course they want clean water and air too. And yet, profits and money get in the way. Wealthy people can avoid the issues of clean water and air by getting their own filters or moving away from unhealthy areas so it doesn’t really hit them at home. When we are out of the situation, it’s easy to forget the needs of others.

Flint is a great example of this. The water in Flint was not being used by wealthy people. It was easy to ignore the poor piping and lead. Poor people are helpless in getting folks to listen and eventually give in to the horrors. I was shocked to learn that the people of Flint were not outraged the filters were going to take months or years to get installed. This made clear to me the results of years and decades of oppression. Eventually people see this treatment as the norm.

It’s time for those of us who can, those of us who can see a bigger picture, to stand up for those who can’t. Where in your own area are people putting up with less than quality water and air? How can you find out? Call your local newspaper to gather information. Look up organizations online. Ask at your local library. Then get out there and do something.

Journalism Needs to Step Up

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The Fourth Estate, the investigative journalism that is one of the checks and balances in America, needs to be fully functioning in this new administration. There has been little contact with the media and therefore little we know about the details of the decisions being made for cabinet and staff positions. How will current day journalism handle being frozen out? How will you be a part of helping journalism to do the job of watchdog and whistleblower?

If you haven’t already, now is the time to subscribe to the organizations you wish to support. Subscribing to your local, national and international news sources will give the necessary resources so these important activities can be maintained. It’s your civic duty.

Trusting Politicians?

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Let’s just wait and see what happens

Trusting – I’m all for it – Unless the person or situation has proven itself untrustworthy. You know, that whole fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. We are at a time in our history when a large part of our fellow Americans are trusting hugely in a new way of government rule, one that is secretive and asks to be trusted while removing democratic principle for checks and balances. This is very risky indeed.

I get it that we needed a change. It’s true there was a stagnation in Washington DC, and in many states, obstructing our ability to move forward. Unaware folks (I have been one of them) believed fake news and got information from very select sources that relied on opinion or just made things up to make money.

Some people rejected normal news sources as tainted or corrupt. “Facts” were believed and trusted from a very narrow band of individuals. This has been rising in our society for some time finding a place among a people that wanted an authoritarian power to just fix the problems. Unfortunately, this new system manipulates people who don’t get a breadth of news from a wide variety of sources and trust implicitly.

Here’s the thing – trust is earned, not given. How do you know if you can trust someone?

They do as they say they are going to do

They act honorably

They have everyones best interest at heart

They have a reputation for treating people fairly

We do not have such leaders in power today.

Look at the various news sources you consume. What do you think is their agenda? Why are they a news organization? Do they clarify opinion from news? How do you know you can trust this organization? Are they just repeating news from other sources? Do they employ investigative journalists?

Consider global warming. Some organizations would say it is a hoax made up by liberals, that nothing humans do affects the change of the temperatures. Think about it. Why would liberals make that up? What is the purpose? To make life harder for businesses? Why? When you give blind trust to an organization or individual, these kinds of questions don’t get asked, much less answered.

What is the agenda of denying human impact on the environment? There is a clear connection between denying global warming and making business profits. It’s easy to see how some people might lie or twist the truth to keep from having to comply with laws that protect the environment but require funding.

It would be quite a conspiracy theory that imagines all ninety-seven percent of scientists in the world are lying to support a liberal agenda that… what? Wants to make up a bunch of EPA rules just for the fun of making businesses pay extra money? Makes no sense.

Better is to have the discussion, what environmental rules are necessary and why? How can the government help businesses manage EPA rules and maintain a profit? What are multiple resources saying? How are other countries managing these changes? How can we make government and businesses more transparent so we can see if the issues rise from greed or need?

It doesn’t have to be either/or, you do it my way or you force me to do it your way. We can turn toward one another, listen, learn, find new answers in a challenging world. Who can you trust? How do you know they are trustworthy?