"Do not depend on the hope of results. You may have to face the fact that your work will be apparently worthless and even achieve no result at all, if not perhaps results opposite to what you expect. As you get used to this idea, you start more and more to concentrate not on the results, but on the value, the rightness, the truth of the work itself." -- Thomas Merton
Of course, a part of this development is the corporate disregard for the personal and family lives of employees who are scheduled to work at these non-essential jobs on our national day of thanksgiving. But there is also the disturbing attitude from these retailers that people are so craven for sales, discounts and 'deals' -- that even on the day set aside for reflection and appreciation for the bounty of the republic -- Americans would rather go shopping.
The 'Comments' written for this news item are worth the read. Most of them display a callousness towards fellow Americans that is certainly disheartening.
In late July I decided to run for mayor of the city in which I reside, Arvada, Colorado. The ballot counting was done this past Tuesday and I was not successful in gaining the office.
My quest was probably quixotic from the beginning ... I tend to be principled and hold my personal integrity as a fundamental part of my character. In other words, I never would take contributions from those who would profit from my decisions, make promises I couldn't keep, sink to a low level of discourse on issues, or treat potential voters like this was a contest for high school prom royalty.
Though I am certainly more cynical about politics and government than I used to be, I retain a germ of idealism and a sense of civic responsibility that told me that no one should go unchallenged for public office, that differing viewpoints need to be articulated, and that (despite the current reality) elections shouldn't be little more than auctions.
My little bits of idealism defined above are my notion of 'patriotism' -- concepts about what our country should be still be about, that our politics, government and economy should be about and for us, "the people".
Let me tell you ... this country, my state, my city are in big trouble. Whether or not you agree with some of the broad, general opinions emanating from the "Occupy Wall Street" movement, the expression of the 99% of us being held hostage to the political and economic power of the 1% is absolutely true.
However you wish to define it, narrowly or radically, it is evident to me that a revolution is overdue in this nation, indeed around the world.
Coming off a local election where I was outspent by a representative of the 1% by probably close to 40-to-1, I found this segment of the Dylan Ratigan program on MSNBC yesterday informative of the extent of the problem.
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