Monday, January 19, 2015

Is There a Greater Social Purpose in a Government Council?

All levels of government are scorned and met with skepticism spanning the entire spectrum.  Whether a school board, city council, state or even the federal government there will always be those who differ mildly and strongly with the decisions made.  What can be said of the system of government we have established for us?  What personal gains can be made from our contemplation of a system of representative council where a group has equal say and input into decisions affecting the greater?  Here are a few of my thoughts.

History is filled with examples of tyranny.  Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin historically seem to be in competition to see who can murder more people.  Well, chocked up on their eternal record are each millions dead.  Genghis Khan arguably exercised a degree of tyranny with his endless brutal campaigns of conquest.  In more modern times we've got Saddam Hussein's murder of 45,000 Kurds in Northern Iraq using chemical weapons.  This incident among many on his resume.  Though all these had people who operated under him they were all, more or less, personally appointed by the dictator who had a warped sense of the greater good.

It is historically obvious that when a people become apathetic to their own sliding situation and are made to feel like they have no control over their prosperity and happiness, they eventually fall to the flaxen grips of tyranny, poverty and strife.  From there, their generations suffer sometimes hundreds if not thousands of years.

Our species, believe it or not, is motivated by faith.  It is the root cause of our progression.  It is the root cause of our happiness and also advancement in medicine, sciences and technologies.  It is the hope or foresight of what can be that gives us all a common thread from which to climb.  It is what separates us from the beasts.  We are - in essence - creatures with the ability to be inspired.  Obviously given the murderous and degrading state of the world we apparently all don't have the same hope or vision of the future.

Though we are a flawed civilization, mankind had devised avenues whereby nations can be empowered by a government representative of its people.  Don't get me wrong all governments are subject to the enticings of corruption.  Yet, it is the faith and hope of the people that their elected (representative) leaders will collectively solve the problems of the governed and provide opportunities of prosperity.  It is a hope in a righteous government.

All good things are met with harsh contention.  It is the yin and the yang - good and evil.  It is the light and the dark.  It is the choice or free agency to understand decisions and have hope, or have only suspicion and hate of leaders.  It is the choice.

The plight of many elected officials is the bearing or the weight of the responsibility place upon them by the faith of their constituents.  It can be overwhelming.  Decisions including millions of dollars often accompany even local governments.  Confusion and unsurety can make the decisions a little unsettling.  Unaccustomed, many decision that leaders absolutely know will adversely affect some will also provide anxiety in the heart and a sickening of the stomach.

The cure of both the constituents and also the elected government officials is the same - faith.  Constituents need to learn faith in their leaders.  Leaders need to keep their pure intent in check and learn to lean on the faith supporting them by the people.  The magic of representative governments is that major decisions are made through a collective effort.  Yes, incorrect decisions are made from time to time but the end result is directly tied to the faith of the people.

There is a social doctrine connected with sharing the yoke or burden of decision or the mantle placed upon people of all walks and of all roles.  In the old days heavy loads were often pulled by two oxen.  These oxen were bridled over-neck with a common yoke that was anchored to the load.  They shared the load and pursued a common course or path.  Bearing the load is no different between people and the oxen.

It is my hope that as a people we can refocus our faith in leaders and in each other.  It is my firm belief that only this will inspire actions of change if they are needed to expand opportunities and prosperity and most importantly happiness.  No, we should not be passive and "let the chips fall where they may."  However, it is all our obligation to first understand and approach with an open heart the decision making process of our leaders.  An open heart is the only way to be truly inspired toward a correct path.  This may compel one to either agree or rebuke an official accordingly, but the calm heart and approach is key.

Hopefully this will serve as good counsel (from one who knows) for the weary at heart among the people and those whom they chose to represent them in matters of social progress, freedom and happiness.

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