CFN – We made it! If you’re reading this we’ve all jumped over the line and are blinking and breathing in 2012. Now I know some of you are fretting and getting all Mayan, but I have a hunch 2012 is going to be a heck of a good year for many. Ok, it might not be for you or I, but someone’s going to benefit because someone always does! Physics has many laws and balance is one of them. If I lose a $5 bill odds are someone finds it.
There are so many stories I could be writing today or issues to be sharing on; but I’m going to start 2012 with a does of humility. For one I’m glad all of us are here. I hope that you all have a healthy 2012; because of the state of healthcare here in Canada it’s our best defense.
I’m afraid to even visit a hospital right now; never mind need treatment.
Monday is my first day at an area gym as part of my project 368-268. I also plan on eating even better than I do now. Of course that’s becoming a perplexing dilemma what with GMO’s and Frankenfood. Why is it here in Canada it’s becoming impossible to find Garlic that’s not from China? Heck if you check your grocery stores the shelves are even filled with Apples from China.
In a perfect world I’d like to believe that a lot of people would wake up from this odd societal changing dream and force things to change. Here in the West the illusion at least of Democracy still exists, but from the ground up you see that there’s no accountability and that’s where we all fail.
From our own City council that shamelessly as a group flaunted the Municipal board by having secret council meetings to our Federal government sliding away our Canadian Soverignty to the US while for some strange reason adding 30 ridings; just what we all need in Canada, about $10 to $15 more million dollars burnt on politicians that also are not held accountable. (See Bev Oda)
That to me is our biggest issue world wide and that’s Accountability. I’m about to do a series on Bullying and as I sifted through interviews and material it all came down to accountability. I mean how can we ask kids to be a certain way when their parents and grand-parents aren’t?
In the US right now they’re debating taxing the rich; a little late, but why shouldn’t people pay their fare share across the board? The US, Canada, and so many countries are rich in resources and industry. Those resources don’t “belong” to a company. They belong to the citizens of the country in which we vote for governments to ….govern. Could you imagine what would happen to a company whose management didn’t serve the owners? Would they last long? Would they get “platinum parachutes” ?
I was talking with a nineteen year old girl this week. A single mommy. I asked her if she’d ever voted as three elections just rolled by that she was eligible to vote in and she laughed as though it was the oddest idea in the world; akin to sitting on a sharp spike!
I’ve been to events this past year where I’ve wondered why some of the people were even there? 420 in Ottawa and many of the Occupy movements were very disheartening. Were any of the voices even under 40?
Whether we’ve socially engineered this somehow or if it’s simply the result of no hope or understanding of the value of a vote I’m not sure. Maybe we all really are lazy and don’t care. Maybe we all are just lobsters in the big water pot of life?
What’s really interesting if you’re still reading is that this isn’t about politics. Not really. Yes the solutions ultimately are political, but my one wish for all of us is that we all be accountable for what we believe in for our world; from our communities to our countries and ultimately the world.
If we all can find one issue that’s important to us; for me for example it’s saving Canadian Medicare before Mr. Harper NAFTA’s it to death; and find people to work with of like mind to work with you never know what you can achieve.
Nothing is going to change over night. It takes years, if not decades to really change momentum, but we can start to hold people accountable publicly. I know I’m going to start this year right here in my home town of Cornwall. When I see what’s happened with Whistle Blower Diane Shaye for example (and I’ve seen more than many of you, but am limited by law as to what I can print) it makes me want to help change things so that nobody has to go through that again in this city. Or what’s going on with the Lift Off Balloon Festival or our Chamber of Commerce. There are people that need to be accountable. The lies have to stop.
I hope more of you reach out and do the same.
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