Listening to Ron Paul is kind of like reading a history textbook, which I realize could make him sound boring or antiquated, but, believe me, this one's not.
It's refreshing, like hearing history re-told for our current context. When I hear Dr. Paul speak, suddenly the ideas our American forefathers believed in seem to make sense again. Like, for example, the Constitution was actually a really good idea, and very well written. And while we're on it, why haven't we heard much about it in the past 70 years?
If you'd like to catch the fire about why Ron Paul is really an incredible presidential candidate, check out this video:
Something I learned about Ron Paul from this video: he loves roundabouts.
There are cities that have intentionally replaced stop lights with roundabouts. The idea is that with stoplights, people become dependent on something else (e.g. the stoplight) to tell them when it's safe to go or when they need to stop. This can be good, but unfortunately, stoplights also allow them to be much less careful, considerate, or even conscious of what the heck they're doing.
By installing roundabouts, the city takes the power from the stoplight and puts it back in the hands of the people. Now, the onus is on each individual to pay attention to what they're doing. In a roundabout, people need to look around, constantly be courteous, and pay attention to the other drivers.
It's probably time we start paying attention again.
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May we never forget that violence always kills -- not only the person who is murdered, but also the killer. Violence is always anti-Human.
And let us never lose the hope -- or the desire to create -- better futures.
I always believed in futures I hope for better in November I try the same losing lucky numbers It could be a cold night for a lifetime Hey now, you can't keeping saying endlessly My darling, how long until this affects me? Say hello to good times Trade up for the fast ride We close our eyes while the nickel and dime take the streets completely I always could count on futures That things would look up, and they look up Why is it so hard to find balance Between living decent and the cold and real Hey now, what is it you think you see? My darling, now's the time to disgaree Say hello to good times Trade up for the fast ride We close our eyes while the nickel and dime take the streets completely Hey now, the past is told by those who win My darling, what matters is what hasn't been Hey now, we're wide awake and we're thinking My darling, believe your voice can mean something Say hello to good times Trade up for the fast ride We close our eyes while the nickel and dime take the streets completely We close our eyes while the nickel and dime take the streets completely "Futures," Jimmy Eat World//
On my vacation, my beautiful family-in-law and I visited the Mackinac Island area of Michigan (which I highly recommend if you haven't been). While traipsing around the commercial tourist trap that is Main Street Mackinaw City, we found a small ice cream shop, and, as it was vacation forgoodnesssake, we knew it was time to partake.
While waiting for said processed dairy, I found a tattered TIME magazine from December 10, 2006 lying on the coffee table in the corner. The cover story was called "How to Bring Our Schools Out of the 20th Century."
As I get older (I know that sounds lame, and I'm not that old yet, but it's true), I find myself knowing more people with kids, and thinking about having some myself someday (gasp!), and the issue of education is becoming more and more frontburner. I know I'm going to have a boatload of issues that get ferried to the surface when my as-yet unconceived child enters schoolworld, but for now I can remain idealistically detatched, and mostly livid.
What's it going to take for us to get our schools out of their archaic modern mindset?
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