Can the Democrat Party Be Resurrected?

Or  Golly, Gee, What Next?

I read an article recommended by a fellow Democrat.  Titled The article speaks of the need for Democrats to tell personal stories instead of using charts and bullet points.  Democrats come across like lecturers instead of humans was the drift of the article.  The author offered this analogy, "...while conservatives believe we are each in our own small boat and it is up to each of us to make it on our own, progressive morality holds that we are all on a large boat and unless we maintain that boat properly, we will all sink together."*  I am not sure if I totally buy into this theory but I will try it on to see how it feels.

It is easy to think of an individual boat being a good thing.  No reliance on anyone or any government, just my own resources.  Ok, I've already run into a problem with my having an individual boat.  I cannot change oil in my car and no way could I build a boat.  I have to depend on others to do that stuff.  For example I was perfectly happy to let the public school educate my son and the technician change my oil .

Obviously I am not a 'my own boat' type of person.  To continue the analogy, I climb out of my little boat into a mini cruise ship.   I need room for the doctor for knee and hip replacements.  And a podiatrist because of foot issues.  I have two nephews that are pastors so if we make it a family cruise the spiritual part will be covered.  Still not a huge boat.  I do like my car and computer.  Guess The boat is getting larger.  Food, food is good.  A bigger boat needed.  Farm implements, guns, eye glasses and the list goes on and on to include the folks picking the food, making furniture and the other items I like in my life.  I cannot get by with even a Princess Cruise liner.  I need lots of other people and hope at least a few need me.  Even if I docked regularly for supplies, I still need other people on land providing the supplies.  The boat analogy is a little hinky for me so I am abandoning this ship thing.

All that said, I am not sure how I can help resurrect the Democratic party.  The party that led the southern states to secede from the Union.  Then 100 years later LBJ and the Democratic Congress finally passed the Civil Rights Act.  The Civil Rights signing resulted in many southern Democrats leaving the party.  Is the only way for the Democrats party to begin electing more  people from local commissioners on up is to push to repeal the Civil Rights Act?  No,  that is a bridge too far.  Way too Far.  I am left wondering what the answer really is?

As a first step, tonight I huddled with folks wanting to make a difference.  We spoke of how we want to keep our nation on a course to provide education, clean air, clean water, and protection from harm.  To be and provide all the essentials that make this nation grand. We questioned if  this nation will fall into being nothing but a bunch of quarreling gangs or tribes.  We nine people left the meeting with assignments.  Small steps to be taken over the course of the next few weeks.  We will gather again in a month or so to determine what the next small step can be.

I believe it is not about any one party.  It is not about 'winning'.  It is about a community that chooses to live in respect for each other.  Each one be the one that waves cars into the line, not the one 'shooting the bird' because I have to be first.  I must be the one to hold doors or to hold a lonely person's hand.  Maybe kissing a child's boo boo or just wiping their tears.  It has to start small and not with just me. Because we do not want our Union to dissolve nor fall into ruin.  We are in this nation and on this earth together.

In peace,
Janice

* from Politico Soapbox, Dave Gold, 2/9/2017 (full text)

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Original Text

[On the news I W watching as there are more marches and protests against the Sanctuary City law.  That proposed law, SB 4 requires the all law enforcement police, sheriffs and state troopers  personnel to be agents for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  In order for the law officers to be held responsible, ICE is to issue a retain request by hardcopy or verbally.   Any l Law officers failing to hold a suspected illegal immigrant can be arrested and jailed.  Full text here.  A loophole that T thing that  I am concerned to me are the is  about a verbal request to retain. can be verbal.  No paper trail   That could lead to a "well they were called" statement.  It would be Too easy in today's the current political landscape to set up an official to be  for dismissedal.]  [ this indicates the entire paragraph is useless in relation to what I was going to write about so could be dropped completely from the piece and used as a stand alone issue]

Any who, w While the news was going on I am reading an article recommended by one of the a fellow Democrat.  Titled The article speaks of the need for Democrats to telling our personal stories instead of using charts and bullet points.  Democrats come across like lecturers instead of humans was the drift of the article.  The author offered this an One analogy, is that "...while conservatives believe we are each in our own small boat and it is up to each of us to make it on our own, progressive morality holds that we are all on a large boat and unless we maintain that boat properly, we will all sink together."*  I am not sure if I totally buy into this theory but I will try it on to see how it feels.

It can be really hard not to is easy to think of an individual boat being a good thing.  No reliance on anyone or any government, just their  my own resources.  Ok, I've already run into a problem with my having an individual boat.  Except for me I cannot change oil in my car and no way could I  Or build the  a boat.  I have to depend on others to do that stuff.  For example I was perfectly happy to let the public school educate my son and the technician change my oil .   [Are the schools different now?  My grandchildren seem to be doing fine but time will tell.  Two grandsons have dyslexia and the system (ie teachers) have done a great job working with them.   Not something I could have worked with had I attempted home schooling.]

Obviously I am not a 'my own boat' type of person.  For an To continue the analogy, I now have climbed out of my little boat into a mini cruise ship.  Oh, hope there is I need room for the doctor that does for knee and hip replacements.  And a podiatrist because of foot issues.  I have two nephews that are pastors so if we make it a family cruise the spiritual part will be covered.  Still not a huge boat.  I do like my car and computer.  Guess The boat is getting larger.  Food, food is good.  A B bigger boat needed.  Farm implements, guns, eye glasses and the list goes on and on to include the folks picking the food, making furniture and the other items I like in my life.  I cannot get by with even a Princess Cruise liner.  I need lots of other people and hope at least a few need me.  Even if I docked regularly for supplies, I still need other people on land providing the supplies.  The boat analogy is a little hinky for me so I am abandoning this ship thing. 

[Okay, now the boat is so big there is the need for sanitation and maintenance of the boat.  More people.  Now all those individual boats are hung along the sides in case we hit an iceberg and the ship starts to sink.  Then folks would still be working together to pull folks from the water.  At least I would hope that better part of humanity would come through.  Well, that ended in a disaster.  Possibly we needed a captain and crew to manage to steer the ship out of harm's way.  A ship owned by the people for the good of the people.]

All that said, I am not sure how I can help resurrect the Democratic party.  The party that led the southern states to secede from the Union.  Then 100 years later LBJ and the Democratic Congress finally passed the Civil Rights Act.  It really The Civil Rights signing resulted in the many southern Democrats leaving the party.  Does that mean in order Is the only way for the Democrats party to begin electing more to the office people from the local commissioners on up is to push to repeal the Civil Rights Act?  No, t for me.   T that is a bridge too far.  Way too Far.  I am left wondering what the answer really is?

[I do believe it is not about any one party.  It is not about 'winning'.  It is about a community that chooses to live in respect for each other.  To be the one that waves that car into the line, not 'shoot the bird' at the other driver because you have to be first.  To be the one to hold doors or to hold a lonely person's hand.  Maybe kissing a child's boo boo or just wiping their tears.  It has to start small, with me. y own boat.  C Because I do not want the Union to dissolve nor fall into ruin. ] [ move this paragraph to the closing ]

As a first step, T tonight I huddled with folks wanting to make a difference.  We spoke of how we want T to keep our nation on a course to provide education, clean air, clean water, and protection from harm.  and To be and provide all the other things that go with essentials that make this nation grand.  our land.  We questioned if Will this land  this nation will fall into being nothing but a bunch of quarreling gangs or tribes.?  I pray not on this nor any of the future watches.  So l Let's see what we can agree on to keep the ship afloat.  We nine people left the meeting with assignments.  Small steps to be taken over the course of the next few weeks.  We will gather again in a month or so to determine what the next small step can be. 

I do believe it is not about any one party.  It is not about 'winning'.  It is about a community that chooses to live in respect for each other.  Each one To be the one that waves that cars into the line, not the one 'shooting the bird' at the other driver because you I have to be first.  I must be To be the one to hold doors or to hold a lonely person's hand.  Maybe kissing a child's boo boo or just wiping their tears.  It has to start small and it has to start   not with just me. y own boat.  C Because we I do not want the our Union to dissolve nor fall into ruin.  We are in this nation and on this earth together.

In peace,
Janice

* from Politico Soapbox, Dave Gold, 2/9/2017 (full text)