Who We Are

Welcome. Musings about us/Us is so named because simply saying the U.S. leaves out the essential ingredient in our system of self-government—us, or “we the people.” This site is about both and remembering the importance of us—our challenges, lives and defining principles—and finding ways to live together that honors all of us. What is important? What defines us/US?

We have a U.S. to secure our first amendment rights. The framers of the Constitution, our ground rules, called that self-evident. The government’s focus was to ensure our rights: our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness on an equal basis.

Today I’m bothered when our government doesn’t appear to be representing us. I’m bothered when they seek and honor privilege. And I’m bothered when our representatives won’t figure out how to work things out.

My disappointment with the media is their focus on the fears they think will keep us tuned in and listening to them. They’ve become what I think of as the popcorn media, all flocking in the same direction and giving us every little crumb until someone throws popcorn in another direction. Ultimately, they often end us giving us crumbs, lacking the depth we need and should expect, to be fully informed.

Often, instead of focusing on solutions, the media looks at the strategies groups are using to “win.” It’s time to challenge the idea that we can be us/US and have winners and losers, without losing something special, without losing our sense of community.

Our interactions with others can expand—instead of polarize—when our approach is to explore options and learn how to solve our problems together. Instead the goal seems to be to win the argument. Why not try other ideas on for size?

The anger and shouts today are disturbing. A new era of brown shirts has weakened our ability to hold town hall meetings. The media helps keep this separation in play by labeling and defining everything in terms of what side people are on. The media defines the extremes, and think they define us/US.

Often what comes from our leaders and the media leaves me thinking, “Can they really mean that? Do they really believe that?” One big reason I’m doing this is to balance the extremes—not because I have the truth. After all, given that science changes the truth about our world every few years or so, isn’t it obvious the truth is simply what we know so far?

Our core, guiding principles are defined in the Constitution. Applying them to solve our problems can be challenging. I hope to learn, grow and evolve—not get better at defending where I started. My hope is we can explore and discover solutions consistent with our founding principles that honor all of us.

On one hand this site is born of frustration related to our country today, and a sense of loss that we don’t seem to know our roots anymore. On the other hand, I’m very hopeful and see incredible opportunities and openings for change.

My underlying belief is that we can and will restore—and even expand—our freedoms; and it’s time to define and redefine what freedom and liberty is, once more.

I’ve thought about doing this site for quite some time, and the time has come. And we’ve all heard that there is nothing more powerful as an idea whose time has come.

I’m beginning to think remembering that is what we need for a shift to take place in our country. In the face of overwhelming power dripping in money and driven by greed, many of us may have forgotten that true power comes from powerful ideas held by people with conviction who participate. Working together as a community is what defined us/US in the beginning.

Today the corporate world defines so much of our lives, our world and the information we receive through the media. They define power as money and force. Once upon a time in our history, we defeated one of the most powerful nations in the world with an idea whose time had come. People uniting behind powerful ideas shift the balance of power.

Freedom is giving up fear and thinking we can’t—and knowing where the power lies. The most appropriate engine to drive us/US is a participatory us.

Come back often or RSS these posts to your own site.
Steve