Democracy 2.0

2.0 Democracy

I loved this TED talk by Pia Mancini and found myself nodding in agreement pretty much the whole way through.  But I'd like to make some clarifications.  The United States is not a democracy, we are a republic.  Majority does not rule here, but supposedly we are represented.  That being said, I am one of those nut jobs that believes the Constitution is an inspired document.  I don't believe the Constitution is the problem with America today, I believe the problem is just how Pia described....it's the process of politics.  Politics in and of themselves have flat been outpaced by technology.  There are a few quotes in her talk that absolutely resonated with me - 1) "Politics is solving today's problems with yesterday's tools."  Boy, that hits the nail on the head doesn't it?  How is it that I can talk to my son in Brazil within a matter of seconds but my congressman is unavailable, or he doesn't know my position on issues here in Southern Utah?  I have a cell phone, I can text in milliseconds and yet the political decision making process is long, heavy and drawn out.  My congressman can't vote for what I want, because he has no idea what I want!  Why?  Because I don't have the time to use the archaic methods employed today to tell him.  2) "Conflict is bound to happen between a system that no longer represents nor has any dialogue capacity, and citizens that are increasingly used to representing themselves."  Bingo, yet again.  The Constitution is not the issue, it's the system and how we are communicating is the issue.  I love the thought of an app, that tells me in layman's terms what is on the agenda.  Everything that is voted on, is written by lawyers for lawyers.  How am I supposed to be educated in what's out there, if I have to go to law school to understand it?  Wouldn't that be fabulous if my Congressman posted something on the app, Yay or nay, I say nay?  Onward and upward!!  Furthermore, I love Mia Love's proposal on one bill at a time.....My biggest pet peeve, they try to sneak things under the radar in a bill that has nothing to do with the topic.  Irks me.  And last but not least 3) "But we must admit that we haven't been good at using those same networks and technologies to successfully articulate an alternative to what we're seeing and find the consensus and build the alliances that are needed to make it happen."  What she's referring to is the fact that we as a public have become quite astute at using technology to put protests together etc....but we have not used technology to come up with alternatives to what we don't want.  She has taken a step in the right direction by inventing the Democracy app - but I believe if our leaders were open to figuring out ways technology could help us communicate with them, more ideas would come about.  However, Pia makes an excellent point that politicians right now don't want to hear our voice.  It's not a "technology issue, it's a cultural issue."  They are completely comfortable running things themselves and have no desire to change.  Would they really vote for what the people truly wanted even if it was against their opinion?  I know that if I were a Congressman and let's say abortion was illegal.  If the majority of my constituents wanted it to be legal (and of course I would know this because I would have every single citizens opinion on the matter through technology) I would really struggle casting my vote for the legality of abortion.  And what about all the money?  What would a politician do if Monsanto's money played no roll in the decision making process?  The people don't want pesticides, the end.  If only life and the political process were that simple.  

I'm not involved with politics because I don't think it has anything to do with issues.  It's about money and power, two things of which I am running short on as of late.  And until they clear the playing field it's going to stay that way.  So I will go on with my life, doing the best I can with whatever the rich people shell out.   

    

Racism 2.0 - Late to the Party

I'm a little late to the party in completing my Racism 2.0 assignment, so I went ahead and read what everyone else wrote first.  I have to say, some really great topics were brought up, from a first-hand experience of being African-American and that perspective, to the Will Smith controversy, and another classmates perspective dealing with racism against him by blacks and whites alike - all very thought provoking for this assignment. 

I grew up in a very racist family, which is ironic because I have been told by doctors (and my grandfather's and brother's appearance) that there is African-American in my family.  I don't understand how you can hate one race and look in the mirror and not hate yourself?  But members of my family do it everyday.   

I would like to think over the last 44 years I have matured enough to believe that I am not racist.  Positively, or negatively.  I do try to accept people for who they are and not what they look like.  That being said, I have already admitted to being overly nice to my friends that are homosexuals because I figure their life is hard enough in society, they don't need any grief from me.

And while I would like to think I am not racist, there are parts of different cultures that I'm not fond of.  As I do expect there are parts of my culture that I don't expect everyone else to be fond of either.  But just because I don't embrace factions of different cultures, doesn't make me racist, I believe that anyway. 

Part of this assignment was not only to recognize the problem and delve a little deeper but to also offer up solutions.  And really, I believe part of the solution is a matter of awareness, evolution, love and effort.  Racism is a HUGE problem, in not only our country, but the world.  I learned this in my history class last semester.  I was so naive to think that we were the only country who brought slaves over from Africa, and that blacks are the only race of slaves.  I was surprised to find out there are Indian, Arab and Irish slaves (along with other races) !!!   Not to mention, Brazil alone took in millions of slaves from Africa alone.  Do they have the same dirty stain on their history as we do?  I believe Americans have admitted there is a problem and some have been active in trying to solve it, in implementing policy such as Affirmative Action etc....and although I don't believe in this policy, it was someone's answer to hopefully end racism.  But as hokey as it may sound the solution is effort and love.  There is no room for racism in true love, unconditional love.  And we cannot come to true and unconditional love without effort.  And although racism is a problem we want to solve nationally, it has to start on an individual basis.  If individually we can make the change, then collectively the change will manifest itself.  It starts with us.