Building American Character Through The Act of Implementation – Fourth Responsibility of Caring Citizens

Implement our caring policy directions by consulting/supervising/replacing (1) all elected and appointed party representatives at the county and state levels, and (2) all elected public workers around our caring policy directions. (personal and social responsibility)

Progressive core values are empathy, responsibility (both personal and community), and strength. Implementation is directly tied to the value of strength. We can have all the good intentions and dreams, and without implementation, i.e. strength, those intentions and dreams never become reality.

Implementation is about governing, going beyond win/lose to win/win. Governing is framing the conversations, which is applied cognitive science. We frame our conversations around our vision and values using the policy directions and strategic initiatives we have developed.

To change the narrative in your area you actually have to change the words you use and become the compassionate actor caring citizens are called to be. As Ghandi said, “Be the change.”

Caring Citizen Action Plan

Another aspect of implementation is for each caring citizen to write down their plan of action focused on our four responsibilities. So what would that look like?

Get out a sheet of paper, turn it sideways, and write a heading that says something like: My Caring Citizen Quarterly Action Plan. Underneath the heading, draw a line down the middle, then draw a line down the middle of either side, so you have four columns. Each column is headed with one of the following four words: Inward, Invest, Invite, Implement.

Inward

Building a compassionate character involves inward digestion. Compassionate political framing is about applied cognitive science. What are you going to do over the next 13 weeks to inwardly digest and USE the latest insights of the brain. Write down three things.

Examples:

1. Read one chapter per week of the Progressive Handbook.
2. Apply the learning from that chapter every day of the week.
3. Write about the experience and perhaps post it to Facebook, where others can see.

Invest

Building a compassionate character takes an investment. Remember these sayings?

• “Where your treasure is there will your heart be also.”
• You get what you pay for.
• You reap what you sow.

To value our 1st Amendment freedom to gather, we must invest in our 1st Amendment. The Empathy Surplus Project believes a weekly gathering is the place to start. The government relations departments of cruel corporations are gathering daily. Although we support the Occupy Wall Street movement, an intentional weekly gathering we lessen the need for “binge gathering” every two or three decades. Write down three things you will be doing to invest in your 1st Amendment freedom to gather.

Examples:

1. Find a Caring Citizens Chapter to join. They gather weekly.
2. Don’t have a chapter? Start one.
3. Can’t do weekly. What and where can you do?

Invite

Building a compassionate character depends on inviting others to compassionate action. Our 1st Amendment assumes a gathering of more than one person, a democracy. A gathering requires invitation. Write down three things about your invitation.

Example:

1. Write down the names of three people you will invite.
2. Write down the activity in which the three people will engage.
3. Write down where the activity will take place.

Implement

Building a compassionate character means acting compassionately. Implementation implies direction, i.e. caring policy directions or strategic initiatives. Implementing ideas requires a strong base and ideally means consulting, supervising, and replacing those who occupy the seats of power beginning with your closest elected representative. Did you know, that if there are any seats of power in your precinct (at least in Ohio), they’re probably not even filled?

Implementation might also mean becoming a candidate for party office, or public office. The filing deadline in Ohio for elected party office, as well as others, is December 7, 2012. Write down three things pertaining to implementing your policy directions.

Example:

1. Identify the elected precinct party representatives of your precinct and reach out to them.
2. What caring policy direction(s) will you discuss with them. How will you report that conversation to your community?
3. How will you measure your implementation efforts?