That some day some leader will come to Reston where I live and lead us to more democratic thinking. In that day It will be possible for all people to press a piece of paper that says something on a public bulletin board where everyone can read it. In that day there will be more then one race and one economic class and one party that will get elected and serving on our boards and our boards will be open to all people and all races and all ecconomic classes. In that day when three thousand people sign a petition the elected officials will listen to those people and act in their will.

1.
We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome some day

CHORUS:
Oh, deep in my heart
I do believe
We shall overcome some day

2.
We'll walk hand in hand
We'll walk hand in hand
We'll walk hand in hand some day

CHORUS

3.
We shall all be free
We shall all be free
We shall all be free some day

CHORUS

4.
We are not afraid
We are not afraid
We are not afraid some day

CHORUS

5.
We are not alone
We are not alone
We are not alone some day

CHORUS

6.
The whole wide world around
The whole wide world around
The whole wide world around some day

CHORUS

7.
We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome some day

CHORUS

I was sitting listening to a conference last night. It had catered little sandwiches and highly paid Fairfax County employees furiously writing with felt tipped markers on easels every one's thoughts on how the voices of minorities could be heard in the RA main room.Paid employees from various public and private agencies muttered about the need for diversity. One woman, Margaret Boyd got up and said all the boards are all the same race. She was involved with the multicultural festival and ave various boards and it was all one race mainly in the power positions.

It occurs to me that democracy is both fragile and vibrant. When it's there people want to become a part of it but when it's not they do not and it withers.

We have for example the RCC board elections. The Reston Community Center is supposed to take in suggestions but mainly runs as a hierarchy just implementing it's own programs. In the last election this "Community Center got all of about 300 people voting most of whom are among I am guessing the people who have a direct past and present use of the center like the Reston Coral and the Swimmers and the play group all good groups but who leave no room at the Inn for anyone else. The 300 out of 60,000 residents elected all three candidates for three slots.

300 out of 60,000 voting yes or no for three candidates who will win anyway is not in my mind or I think anyone else a healthy or democratic election. Yet you have the Reston Alliance for Better Community who alone nominates and gets all the board members in Reston and usually nominates white upper middle class (maybe Anglo Saxon Protestant?) people for the boards muttering stuff about diversity.

The net effect is no democracy, and no attraction and a dull and dreary place.

But if people saw real democracy and real diversity they would be attracted to it and you would see more participation. The RCC is , according to it's memorandum of understanding, supposed to have a suggestion box and take input from the public that pays for it. It could and should. The Fairfax County board was wrong to forbid mail out ballots to get more participation like the RA has. It should reverse that action. The Alliance for Better Community could have a open nominating process instead of a nominating process that takes place in the dark of night in private homes by private invitation.

Every action results in a reaction I believe. If there was more democracy in one area it would have a chain reaction in other areas I believe. I believe that more democracy in one area would have more democracy in other areas. More people would be attracted to them.

Some of the great Civil Rights and freedom movements of the last century took place not from the top down but because people in their heart chose to make a difference. It is my hope that those who have been undemocratic in the past will search their hearts and not continue to be undemocratic. We will be a better place for it.-Rod

stfu. stop pasting crap from other sites.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Get out on the streets and knock on the doors of people's houses and spread your message this way. Local politics are just as important, if not more important, than the presidential election the media is covering.

This is, sadly, not the place to spread your message. :(

Sadly this may be the only place to say this.-Rod

Who gives a shit about Reston, except as a testament to why liberalism doesn't work?

Yes, my last name is munch.

Reston is a planned comunity, hence it was built correctly. It will not be changed.