Chuck,
Why have we lost our sense of community in normal times? It sure would be
nice if NYC could continue this strong sense of community. Heck it is
possible that it could spread from city to city.

Before you knew it would could have a movement....


wrote in message
ups.com...

Reggie Smithers ( is my first name) wrote:
The current situation in NYC with everyone pulling together made me think
about boaters and the Good Samaritan Rule. Everyone from pleasure
boaters
on a small lake to tankers in the middle of the ocean will go out of
their
way to help others.

Whenever I see someone who appears stalled, I will go over to see if I
can
help. I have towed people to the marina and have had to be towed before.
What is it that brings people together on the water or together in an
emergency, such as the transit strike in NYC?

The crisis creates a sense of community.

Same as when we boat- we know that the difference between an successful
and happy day on the water and blowing up an engine to require a tow or
even getting into a jam where a rescue is involved can be slight at
times and maybe even a question of luck.

When we encounter somebody whose luck has run out, we try to assist
that part of the community. I think we do so because we know its the
right thing to do and because we also sense that a strong community
will be better able to come to our aid if the tables are ever turned.

Reggie Smithers ( is my first name) wrote:
Chuck,
Why have we lost our sense of community in normal times? It sure would be
nice if NYC could continue this strong sense of community. Heck it is
possible that it could spread from city to city.

Before you knew it would could have a movement....


We have lost our sense of community in normal times because there is an
active industry endlessly dividing us against one another. Voices for
several sides consistently preach that all other sides are totally
without merit. The people who promote this at the very highest level
don't even really care which side we're individually on- the only
important thing to them is that the people are divided (and therefore
less of a threat).

Even those rare calls for "unity" are disingenuous. "Y'all need to
adopt my standards and values, ya hearh, so we can come together and be
united." In fact, we will truly be united when we stick up for one
another *in spite* of differences of opinion- and we will never be
united as long as we perceive people with different values or opinions
as defective in some sense or another.

It's difficult to maintain that perspective in the modern culture of
non-stop propaganda (of one persuasion or another) in almost every
medium.

On 21 Dec 2005 15:42:33 -0800, wrote:


Reggie Smithers ( is my first name) wrote:
Chuck,
Why have we lost our sense of community in normal times? It sure would be
nice if NYC could continue this strong sense of community. Heck it is
possible that it could spread from city to city.

Before you knew it would could have a movement....


We have lost our sense of community in normal times because there is an
active industry endlessly dividing us against one another. Voices for
several sides consistently preach that all other sides are totally
without merit. The people who promote this at the very highest level
don't even really care which side we're individually on- the only
important thing to them is that the people are divided (and therefore
less of a threat).

Even those rare calls for "unity" are disingenuous. "Y'all need to
adopt my standards and values, ya hearh, so we can come together and be
united." In fact, we will truly be united when we stick up for one
another *in spite* of differences of opinion- and we will never be
united as long as we perceive people with different values or opinions
as defective in some sense or another.

It's difficult to maintain that perspective in the modern culture of
non-stop propaganda (of one persuasion or another) in almost every
medium.

Borderline...
--
John H

**** May your Christmas be Spectacular!****
*****...and your New Year even Better!*****