Fw: [Winona] Citizen Involvement versus Apathy

Arlene Prosen aprosen at hbci.com
Sun Dec 10 14:14:55 CST 2006 

Why become involved?  Because one just may be able to make a difference.
You will never know the extent of the waves created when you pitch a pebble
into a pond.  You can read that as "the extent of the actions taken" when 
you
"share an idea".

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Severson" <toms at seversonoil.com>
To: "'terri hyle'" <tgir74 at hotmail.com>; <winona at mnforum.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 10, 2006 9:56 AM
Subject: RE: Fw: [Winona] Citizen Involvement versus Apathy


> [Winona Online Democracy]
>
> Involvement is a way of life.  Some people choose to be involved and 
> others
> want to be passive and spend their time another way.
>
> Ted Turner's quote I like is:    "Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Race" 
> We
> should not condemn anyone for their preference, only if they complain 
> about
> their choice.
>
> Tom Severson
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: winona-bounces at mnforum.org [mailto:winona-bounces at mnforum.org]On
> Behalf Of terri hyle
> Sent: Saturday, December 09, 2006 9:46 PM
> To: winona at mnforum.org
> Subject: RE: Fw: [Winona] Citizen Involvement versus Apathy
>
>
> [Winona Online Democracy]
>
> I'm surprised that Dwayne cites schools not teaching community and civic
> involvement since I know that WSHS did just that when my kids were 
> students
> there.  Moreover, I believe that community and civic involvement are 
> taught
> by example, not by giving course credit and classroom lessons.
>
> I didn't grow up in Minnesota.  I grew up in very small town rural 
> Indiana,
> and as an adult lived in the Washington DC and Detroit metropolitan areas
> prior to relocating to Minnesota 18 years ago.  I am continually impressed
> and amazed at the level of accessibility to all levels of government that
> are open to every single citizen who cares to avail themselves of the
> opportunity.  I know county commissioners, school board members, the mayor
> and his wife, a state senator, a state representative; I spoke directly 
> with
> the governor of our state when he was in Winona, shortly after his first
> election to the office.  He was at a citizens' meeting in city council
> chambers.  I didn't have to pass through a metal detector or take off my
> shoes or open my purse or jacket.  I just showed up.  I'm not bragging---I
> am amazed at the way that in Minnesota, our elected officials really are 
> our
> neighbors, are really the people next door or down the road or around the
> corner.  Pretty often I strongly disagree with many of the public decisons
> that are made at every level of government, but I know that I have a 
> voice,
> if I am willing to open my mouth--or write a letter or email.  If you grew
> up here, you may not realize how rare and precious this is.  Like the 
> bluffs
> and the lakes and river and the rolling prairies, it may be that you take 
> it
> all for granted.  You really should not.
>
> I do agree that most people are really over-worked, and have little time 
> or
> energy left to inform themselves about issues.  However, much information 
> is
> accessible if you are willing to give up a little time in front of the
> television.  You have to be willing to invest the effort.  And you have to
> be willing to invest the time and effort even if you don't think you'll 
> win
> your point.  That's the hard part, in my opinion:  being willing to stand 
> up
> and speak up; being willing to go to a lot of effort and still not reach
> your goal---the first time, anyways.
>
> Democracy requires investment of time and energy, heart and mind.  It
> requires courage--and not just on the battle field or in board meetings. 
> It
> requires courage to risk not being listened to, courage to investigate and
> find that perhaps you weren't correct in your initial assumptions.  It
> requires courage to accept that you will be criticized for what you say.
>
> Terri Hyle
>
>
>
>
>>From: "Dwayne and Denine Voegeli" <voegeli at hbci.com>
>>To: "E Democracy" <winona at mnforum.org>
>>Subject: Fw: [Winona] Citizen Involvement versus Apathy
>>Date: Sat, 9 Dec 2006 14:43:30 -0600
>>
>>[Winona Online Democracy]
>>
>
>
>>Hello Craig and Others,
>>
>>Craig, the poll about people caring was interesting.
>>
>>According to the article, some of the main reasons people don't get more
>>involved are,
>>
>>-----
>>
>>"The turnoff, the poll found, is threefold: Much of what's billed as an
>>opportunity for citizen involvement in government amounts to
>>wheel-spinning, with too much discussion of problems and not enough 
>>action.
>>That makes it excessively time-consuming. In addition, politics has become
>>too mean-spirited to be any fun. And too few decision makers seem to care
>>about what average people think. "
>>
>>------
>>
>>I can understand the frustration with wheel spinning.  I feel the same way
>>many times.
>>
>>I would also add there are at least three other reasons why people don't
>>get more involved.  They are:
>>
>>1.  Schools:  Our schools do not teach community and civic involvement. 
>>We
>>study government and politics from a distance but we don't practice local,
>>hands-on civics and democracy.  People may feel an urge to get involved 
>>and
>>help out but they may not know how since they have never really done it
>>before.  By the way, the new federal No Child Left Behind education
>>standards only makes this problem worst.  Most student councils have no
>>real "power."  They are usually a bunch of great kids doing wonderful
>>things but in essence, they are just a student glee or school spirit club.
>>
>>
>>2.  Over Worked:  Because of what we have allowed to happen to our lives,
>>most Americans don't simply have the time to get involved.  For many
>>people, there isn't enough time to get the laundry done, let alone become
>>involved in the community or to volunteer.  The average work week in the
>>U.S. is over 46 hours a week, not the mythical 40 hours most of think of.
>>Do we simply have enough time for democracy, our neighborhoods, or even
>>ourselves?
>>
>>
>>3.  System Problem:  Our current democratic system is not meant for mass
>>participation.  It says it is but it isn't.  It's really designed for a
>>small group of elected officials to watch over a large group of
>>professionals.  I'm not saying that is necessarily all bad, it's just
>>simply what it has become.  Democracy was originally meant to involve far
>>bigger numbers of citizens in real and direct ways.  Could we move back
>>toward that?
>>
>>
>>The article also said,
>>
>>------
>>
>>"The Citizens League intends to use them in the next 18 months to develop
>>recommendations for a tune-up of the state's problem-solving systems, 
>>timed
>>for the 150th anniversary of Minnesota's statehood."
>>
>>------
>>
>>Is there anything we could do locally to become a part of this interesting
>>and important discussion?  (Can we drag ourselves away from the more juicy
>>blogs?)
>>
>>Dwayne Voegeli
>>
>>Dec. 9, 2006
>>
>>
>>==============
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: Craig Brooks
>>To: WOD
>>Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2006 5:04 AM
>>Subject: [Winona] Citizen Involvement versus Apathy
>>
>>
>>[Winona Online Democracy]
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -----
>>
>>
>>Do we really want to be involved?  A recent survey says we do.  An
>>editorial in the Trib.
>>http://www.startribune.com/561/story/856093.html and
>>in the Pioneer Press
>>http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/16119334.htm
>>summarizes the results of a Citizen's League survey.
>>http://www.citizensleague.net/
>>The poll results are found at
>>http://map150.org/poll/statewide-poll-findings/
>>
>>What might you recommend as ways citizens here in Winona could be involved
>>in local government and in issues in ways that are meaningful enough to
>>motivate participation?  Much is said about public input being a facade or
>>being fixed via who is named or what the group is allowed to do.  How can
>>that be changed?
>>
>>Craig Brooks
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -----
>>
>>
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>>_______________________________________________
>>This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy
>>All messages must be signed by the senders actual name.
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>>  http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
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