Writer asks again, ‘What if?’

To The Eagle:

There is a solution to the mess this country and the world is in. Is it going to be easy to do? Does it provide instant gratification? No!

I will say it again. What if people started to take full responsibility for their lives, their families, their town, their state and so on?

We have elected officials who are, let’s just say, not taking care of the folks back home. What can anyone do?

Do not wait for the various agencies to hand you a living, food, clothing, a job or anything else. Create your own job; grow a garden, people helping people. No free ride!

What if everyone just ignored the foolish actions and inaction the politicians are doing? They would either get on board and start being effective or quit and go away. Especially if part of ignoring them included withdrawing all support from them.

Oooo… can we do that? Yup!

This is not to say there is no use for politicians. Someone needs to provide guidance and coordination of and for activities, plan for the future survival of the group they represent and so on. But! They do it at minimum wage with no benefits. Give them benefits and bonuses only when they create effective actions that actually do what they are there to do.

No free ride for anyone! Yes, I understand there are those who are completely disabled. While being quietly and kindly cared for even they can be encouraged to find some way to contribute to the overall good of their family, neighborhood, town, even if it is just giving everyone they see a smile, or if they are able, a cheerful word. Get the idea?

How do you get from there to here? What if every person just decided to take responsibility for and control of their life! And not at the expense of others! Folks can work together toward a better life for all.

What if! Oh my!

Ben Elkinton

Cathlamet