We want good. We need good.
Word form the recent convention is that democrats are still somehow fractured. If we don't lock elbows and present a unified front, that fracture will turn into a compound fracture. If you've ever had compound fracture then you understand how incredibly difficult and time-consuming they are to heal. We don't have time for that. That is not good.
Audrey Denney is good. She's a good leader. She's a good listener. She is a good person. If you find yourself having an issue with her stance / policy, don't drop your support– support her even more. One way you can do this by sending her an email to make her aware of your concerns. She invites this and reads everything sent to her. She's said this and done this, religiously, for the last few years. That's what good is.
The group of us are almost entirely democrats, and it seems we are attracting folks who are coming over from the other side of the aisle. If you're one of those people, then I/we welcome you. Please bring your friends. We want what's good for people. We want responsible climate policy to protect our little rock in space– it's getting irritated with our stewardship. We want thoughtful immigration policy. We want a lot of things, but we need those who represent us to address concerns we have. That is good.
We all know that we live in extraordinary times. These are not the glorious days we had 50 years ago in 2016. 50 years from now, in 2020, we can't have things to continue progressing/digressing as they have been. Whatever good is to you, that'd be the opposite of it.
Here's what's good to me:
- Supporting our mayor, Randall Stone, and councilman Karl Ory (both of whom were served with recall notices)
- Supporting Audrey Denney by volunteering or chipping in to help fund her campaign. Also, She appreciates contributions of any size.
- Making a concerted effort to speak civilly and constructively with folks who don't share my views (that's a tough one)
- Augmenting consumption of news/info by actively seeking out something good, like a TED talk by someone working towards a noble cause, or subscribing the Celebrate Small Victories email newsletter
Let's not let fear, shock, and awe dictate Chico's personality. It's a great place. It's always been a great place. It will always be a great place, but to keep it this way we must be diligent.
Thoughtful and constructive dialogue that hits the permeable target in the most hardened of people is the way to do it.