Poetry & Politics by (me!) sandra, tvgp
what a mistake; we've oft'n made -and stares me in the face; hmmm
so on purpose to oust the gov - unschooled on who'll "replace him!"
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it has happened on very large scales -dictators finally taken down! without foresight or knowledge as to who/how the people will be governed in the aftermath -sometimes, one mess removed; only creates another to clean
the lesson...
BEFORE; or at very least during the removal process... know as much as you can, about what will follow -will you end up going backwards? repeating the same with a different cast of characters? or elect new leadership which actually improves things for the people and moves them forward?
the goal... of course!
actually improve things for the people and move them forward.
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that said, i am concrete in my desire, and have signed the necessary petition to have gavin newsom recalled. -please! and it can't happen soon enough,
and how often i scratch my head... how did? i mean, san francisco went downhill under his leadership as mayor, but he was promoted to governor?
i was under the impression you had to do a good job before getting promoted..
anyway,
let's take a look at, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer 'ran the state's second largest city for six years'
report card? from the citizens
and i'll be researching a little here, and a little there to learn whether or not Faulconer would improve things for Californians
-floating to the top of my concerns: we need someone intelligent about crime & consequences; public safety; and we need some geniuses to address the growing homeless crisis
*these are givens: proper/best for all distribution of vaccine for pandemic; schools/education; roads/highways/transportation; taxation with actual representation; transparency; accountability.. long list here,
i will abbreviate only: we do have our geniuses don't we: i've watched a few episodes of Stephen Hawkings Genius series on PBS. wonderful! taking on such big life questions; complicated problems and explaining in laymen terms.. that alone is a sign of genius if you ask me..
but the type of genius we have...
the type of genius we have been gifted... world wide internet; cell phones; -choreography of communications systems.. A.I., virtual technology, advances in medicine... visits to space...
well, there is the type of geniuses we have, vs. the type of geniuses we need: we need minds which can address the growing homeless population
it is of great interest/fascination to me, the scope of services which do already exist: in my county alone, for example, there appears to be no shortage of services; and yet such a growing population..
-yes, via correspondence i learned the CDC suggested due to covid 19, no homeless people be relocated at the current time..
but, before the pandemic... increased during... increasing still...
once the CDC does give the greenlights.. then what? remember, we have homeless due to financial hardship; homeless due to drug/alcohol addictions; homeless due to mental illness.. and any given mixture of the three major contributors
-i'm already getting off track; so, just here mention -i will be researching the potential candidates who will replace gavin newsom
and! in my imagination, said candidates should each have their own, very average-citizen-friendly websites which share in bullet point fashion, where they stand on the important issues, each with hyperlinks to learn more about -why- they stand where they do...
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was fascinated to read again, and in 2021! when so many platforms exists for the individual and therefore remove the media middleman
well, i am reading, let us dream, the path to a better future, Pope Francis.. i have to say, i was rather taken aback, by reading, on page 87, hardcover: "Yet the framing of the synod by media linked to particular groups reduced and simplified the whole work of the Synod to this one issue, as if this synod had been called solely to decide whether or not to...."
and very intentionally i have left off there, because my issue is not with the one decision...
my issue is this: how, in 2015.../2020/2021, etc. is the media still framing anything?!
they had their day... yes, before we had our own websites, tweets, instagrams... before we had our own easy access platforms, when print newspapers/news stations were the only source
of course they could pick and choose, edit at will.. persuade.. reduce.. exaggerate... omit...
but, if any citizen wants the actual true scope of issues, discussions, results of a synod
-remove the media,
go directly to the synod website. in my imagination, this resolves the problem Pope Francis shares in his book: i paraphrase here: 'the synod addressed 12 vital issues successfully; but the media framed the synod as only addressing 1 controversial issue'
/note here: i love this
pg 88 Aquinas's teaching that no general rule could apply in every situation allowed the synod to agree on the need for a case-by-case discernment.
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amen that!
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now, for the time being, I believe I can share my opinions here, on my blog; and in fact i have, on many of the hot topics of the day
and if 'the media' wants to say true or false things about me.. and people turn to the media for their 'truth'
when the actual 'truth' is available write here..
-so be it
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but! are we headed backwards -because at the same time i am writing about how the media should no longer be able to frame things incorrectly, or reduce things... etc.,
because we have been gifted individual platforms..
for the first time in my life
i have been hearing personal testimony after personal testimony about how individual platforms are being selectively removed/erased/blocked..
people being banned...
the most shocking thing i've heard in the past year -people who were registered as republicans; changing their political status out of..
out of -fear.
honey.. this is not the united states of america i was born into; or the united states of america i can support.
-free speech has been one of the greatest assets of our democracy; the thing that seem to separate us from the ugly dictatorships of other countries around the world;
spares us from tyranny
where it is mandated that you agree with one point of view, or are banned?
you agree with one point of view, or are threatened...
you agree or else!
free speech is on the endangered list -in the united states of america?!?
i have learned of conservatives having their personal platforms in various social media permanently banned
this is hideous to me..
nothing can stunt your growth quite as dramatically and intensely and consequentially as hearing only one point of view
and out of all the issues i have mentioned in this post: homelessness, crime & consequences..
all of the problems, crises need the input of many different schools of thought to be resolved.
-or at the very least; managed in a way that decreases vs. increases the problem.
i am a huge fan/supporter of free speech..
don't let it slip away; vote accordingly.
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now, where shall i turn for the 'truth' about Kevin Faulconer? -a moderate republican..
a news network? a conservative third party website/social media platform?
a liberal third party website/social media platform? the government website?
private citizens website? kevin faulconer website?
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where are you turning for your truth? how well can you listen? to other points of view...
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I do regard myself as a very good listener. -i process this way:
I first understand how it is that i arrived at my own point of view on any given matter... and this usually involves many things, where i was raised, what schools, my family/friend influence, neighborhood, things i've read, things ive heard, shows i've watched; what i've been exposed to; my own life experiences, etc.
so, the first thing i do, as a listener, is not just listen to where a person stands on any given issue; but i factor in, and try to inquire.. how it is that they arrived there.
and, everyone has different exposures based on their upbringing, family/friends, neighborhood, school, tv shows, literature, time in history they were born -life experiences, etc.
when you understand this: -how YOU arrived at your point of view
you can then learn, and even, understand, how it is that someone else, arrived at a different point of view.
understanding is healthy.
free speech is healthy.
when you don't even try to understand... when you limit yourself by choice, or by bullying, to only one point of view -the result is spiritual cancer.
with love, -amen.
***
did i write this entire post without mentioning human trafficking? -see how we are drowning in so many crises simultaneously that....
another area we could really use some more geniuses...
posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 11:09 AM
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