Earl Finkler
Cyburbian
- Messages
- 190
- Points
- 7
Being planners, we have a strong tradition of public service. In this message, I want to broaden our concerns just a bit because I am truly concerned about our country.
The campaign for president and the goings on in Florida do not give me a lot of confidence. This country seems to be polarized right down the middle, and despite high tech communications media, many serious matters do not get discussed, and hard information is often lacking.
I've been thinking about this a lot the last few years and I'm worried that we may have lost our way in the 1960s, with the killings of John and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King.
I know none of them were saints and all had weaknesses.
but to me, these three had the best interest of the country and ALL of its people at heart. And they urged us not to just accumulate wealth, but to perform public service, ie in the Peace Corps, etc., and to develop ideals and follow those ideals no matter what the cost.
Now we have growing problems from global warming to continued poverty. Health concerns grow rapidly. And our population in aging. Also, the Third World wants a higher standard of living as well, not just dead-end low paying jobs, or less.
What can we in planning do? We do a great job technically keeping our cities and towns going, despite budget cuts. I'm sure if we speak more often from idealism and global concerns, we might not fare too well in employment.
As others on this message board can attest, getting and keeping a job today is often difficult.
But perhaps we can each consider various ways to help others and be aware of the needs of the poor, the hungry and the abused.
thanks for listening.
Earl Finkler
The campaign for president and the goings on in Florida do not give me a lot of confidence. This country seems to be polarized right down the middle, and despite high tech communications media, many serious matters do not get discussed, and hard information is often lacking.
I've been thinking about this a lot the last few years and I'm worried that we may have lost our way in the 1960s, with the killings of John and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King.
I know none of them were saints and all had weaknesses.
but to me, these three had the best interest of the country and ALL of its people at heart. And they urged us not to just accumulate wealth, but to perform public service, ie in the Peace Corps, etc., and to develop ideals and follow those ideals no matter what the cost.
Now we have growing problems from global warming to continued poverty. Health concerns grow rapidly. And our population in aging. Also, the Third World wants a higher standard of living as well, not just dead-end low paying jobs, or less.
What can we in planning do? We do a great job technically keeping our cities and towns going, despite budget cuts. I'm sure if we speak more often from idealism and global concerns, we might not fare too well in employment.
As others on this message board can attest, getting and keeping a job today is often difficult.
But perhaps we can each consider various ways to help others and be aware of the needs of the poor, the hungry and the abused.
thanks for listening.
Earl Finkler