By Carol Soelberg, President of UFI
United Families received many gratifying comments from our readers recently when we spelled out ways citizens can be involved in making a difference in the sex education curriculum in their schools. This affirmed my belief that people are not really apathetic in regards to their community responsibilities rather they need to be informed about how to be involved!
I agreed whole heartedly with Dave Meslin’s 7 minute video presentation called “The Antidote to Apathy.” He says people aren’t stupid, selfish or lazy. We simply live in a world that discourages involvement by putting obstacles and barriers in our way.
These obstacles include:
- Intentional exclusion exists because many public servants would rather make decisions for us than encourage our understanding and input.
- We have intentionally put a price tag on freedom of expression. Our public space, i.e. billboards and such, are bought for a high price while many of the messages that need to be shared are not profitable.
- The media focuses far more on entertainment and sports than political events and involvement. Even when political stories are covered, rarely is information included that would direct input and involvement.
- Many of today’s heroes are seen as “chosen” or exceptionally gifted. This leads the rest of us who are all fairly “ordinary” to assume that we haven’t much to contribute. Meslin accurately states that, “A heroic effort is a collective effort”. The real good that is accomplished in life involves the “collective, imperfect, voluntary” efforts and talents of many individuals.
- Political Parties have sadly become a restatement of what marketers and pollsters think you want to hear rather than coming up with bold creative ideas and policies that reflect and serve the good of the people.
- And finally, the fact that charitable organizations are not allowed to advocate, means that many of the most “passionate and informed voices are kept silent especially during election time.”
Thank you Meslin for helping us all clarify some of the obstacles that hinder our involvement in the important issues of the day. United Families International is dedicated to climbing over these obstacles and identifying ways for all who wish to be involved in making the world a better place to live by securing a future for families.