Both Democrats and Republicans like to quote Thomas Jefferson. The following two quotes explain why. He was wise and even-handed as you will see here where he says, “I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” And then he says, “I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property…”
Thomas Jefferson’s bottomline was that neither government nor the business sector should amass unchecked power and control over “we the people.” He cautioned that people should go to great lengths to become informed and accountable for our own good; that we should not become dependent on either government or the business sector to sustain our daily needs and make all the decisions for “we the people.” We must come together to sustain our own selves which calls for democratic community organizing and action.
We who live in the Verde Valley are lucky because we have everything we need to sustain our community: year round crop capability for direct farmer markets; clean, running waters; centers for higher education; many retired and active higher educators; an array of craftsmen and artists. Our elected representatives live among us and are subject to our constant scrutiny and accountability. We are a progressive community already involved in what President Obama has asked the U.S. population to do: reform education; grow community gardens; move toward “greening” our community which we are beginning to address with solar, water conservation, round-abouts; encourage bike paths and electric cars. We are not primarily a business and manufacturing community. Rather we are a community that is looking for creative ways to live together in greater harmony and independence. This, in my opinion is a truly democratic community. (Except for our local healthfood store and a couple of community centers) we have not taken adequate steps in the area of public health education for prevention in order to lower sickcare costs or in providing incentives for local investment in businesses that might serve the needs of the community but I am sure that will come.
We are not perfect but we are well on the way of being the moderate, middle of the road kind of community that I think Thomas Jefferson would have held up as a positive national example. I only wish that the U.S. Congress would try as hard as we are trying to come together for the good of “we the people.” There is a saying that “all government is local” and we are surely an example of how local people are attempting to put aside extreme self-serving political interests in order to create a consensus that will work for the good of all. This IS, in fact what a truly democratic union is all about.
