dagblog - Comments for "The Allusive Common Ground"

Regarding question 2: there

Elusive Trope — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:39:26 +0000

In reply to Thanks. In the spirit of my

Regarding question 2: there are endless number of permutations possible when one looks at the various groups that can be defined within the country. I suppose if I do continue with this exercise I will add others. But if one is going to be selective in some fashion, as opposed to having decided by who just shows up for the most part, as many community visioning process do (thus under-representing many groups, except for those who show up to represent those groups, i.e. mental health case workers who seek to give the chronically mentally ill a voice), then some guidelines have to be set up to determine the distribution.

I have chosen the one I have chosen for the reasons given in the other comment. Your method is another way of doing it - the result would be different. Neither would be necessarily better than the other, just different, each with its own values and flaw to the goal of finding a better way forward.

Indeed!

Elusive Trope — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:28:30 +0000

In reply to Let's face it, allusions to

Indeed!

In answer to question 1: The

Elusive Trope — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:27:55 +0000

In reply to Thanks. In the spirit of my

In answer to question 1: The reason I believe that many issue don't get any traction is simply that the majority don't buy-in to the solution.

Gay marriage has struggled to gain acceptance because the majority of the people identify themselves as heterosexual. At best, 4% of Americans identify themselves as lesbian, gay or bisexual.

0.3% identify themselves as transgender, so we can pretty much guess how well it has gone getting acceptance of issues related to this group. And the last time I saw, they were the group most likely to experience violence as a result of some identity characteristic.

Even if we were to say that LGBT community accounts for 10% of the population, unless there is large swath of the heterosexual community have to support the LGBT community in achieving success on their issues.

In developing a vision statement that would include LGBT rights and has a greater likelihood of being successful if it framed and worded in a way in which a large portion of heterosexual community will agree to. It isn't just about being right, it is about facilitating the awareness of others about what is right, rather than coercing them or forcing them to go along with the agenda.

There are times in a country's history where it is appropriate to push an agenda forward even if the majority is against it, whether it forcing school segregation or closing Gitmo. But this exercise isn't about those times when our community leaders and political leaders should stand up and do the right thing, not the popular thing.

Sometime it is not about numerical superiority, but the institutionalized power and oppression present in organizations and the culture at large, with the patriarchy only shows can show. But this is perpetuated as much by those being oppressed as it is by the oppressors in many cases.

The women's movement was possible, for example, only after many woman were made "aware" they were being oppressed. In 1955, one would find a majority of Americans accepting, men and women, the patriarchy imperative. In this exercise, the point would be reflect that in the group. As it was it took many decades of struggle to break through.

This exercise seeks to look for the answer to the question - was there a way in which the movement could have been shortened and more effective in effecting change?

Let's face it, allusions to

NCD — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:11:07 +0000

In reply to Okay good catch - but it is a

Let's face it, allusions to common ground are all too elusive these days!

Okay good catch - but it is a

Elusive Trope — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:01:56 +0000

In reply to Not to be a stickler but this

Okay good catch - but it is a result of my photogenic memory.

But if put on the stand, I will claim poetic license. For you see, in all the talk about populist movements, bringing together the working classes, or the 99%, or patriotic Americans, there is allusions to the common ground.

Thanks. In the spirit of my

Aunt Sam — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:53:01 +0000

In reply to The link above in the blog

Thanks.

In the spirit of my continued interest in your quest to develop the best format for this project and the ongoing discussion, I have the following questions:

1. Why is it necessary to attempt to closely adhere to the current populace's 'groupings' as to ethnicity/race and religion affiliation?

If, as I understand your stated goal is for the assembly to represent the stated citizenry, it seems to me that this still leaves too many unrepresented and needs unmet.

2. Have you considered other types of regional groupings that would come together (i.e. by religious affiliations, income, race, rural, metropolitan, political ideology, etc.) and then having each group choose the needed number of representatives to come together with like groups from the other regions noted to meet with the other region's representatives that would create the consensus group?

Not to be a stickler but this

NCD — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:40:30 +0000

In reply to The Allusive Common Ground

Not to be a stickler but this seems to be a improper use of 'allusive', which is derived from 'allusion' - a passing or casual reference; an incidental mention of something, either directly or by implication: an allusion to Shakespeare.

Elusive, Oxford Dictionary : elusive
· adj. difficult to find, catch, or achieve.
– DERIVATIVES elusively adv. elusiveness n.
– ORIGIN C18: from L. elus-, eludere ‘elude’ + -ive.

This just in...those

Elusive Trope — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:35:00 +0000

In reply to Evidently leaving the asylum

This just in...those responsible for the sacking have been sacked.

Evidently leaving the asylum

jollyroger — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:15:00 +0000

In reply to All responsible have been

Evidently leaving the asylum under full inmate control...carry on.

All responsible have been

Donal — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:09:36 +0000

In reply to Moderator, can we have a

All responsible have been sac'd.