Building American Character Through The Act of Invitation - Third Responsibility of Caring Citizens
“Invite others to join our freedom partnership and lobby our respective party representatives and public servants for our caring policy directions.” (personal and shared responsibility)
When was the last time you invited someone to a conversation that mattered? We invite friends to parties. We invite friends to dinner. How does one invite a friend to a “freedom partnership?” A strong democracy requires relationships outside one’s own family for the benefit of others. The core values needed to make this happen are empathy, responsibility (personal and community) and the strength to act on these values. How does one start? One starts with the act of invitation.
Our 1st Amendment freedom is about gathering to make things better and that takes an invitation by someone. It mights as well be YOU.
The Empathy Surplus Project envisions weekly neighborhood gatherings for conversations that matter to identify caring policy directions. But before you can get THERE, you have to start with an invitation to a gathering, a relationship, a friendship.
A Simple Beginning (A script)
You (after calling a friend): Hi, Joe? It’s Chuck here. Have you got a minute?
Friend: Sure, Chuck, what’s on your mind?
You: I just finished reading an interesting article at the Empathy Surplus Project website by George Lakoff, entitled A Framing Memo To Occupy Wall Street. I thought it made a lot of sense. I also found a “Progressive’s Handbook” at that same site and I wanted to discuss it with someone. I was wondering if you’d like to meet for a beer or a cup of coffee and discuss a chapter a week? They’re pretty short chapters.
Friend: I don’t know. What’s it about?
You: How to build grassroots trust for a stronger democracy. The subtitle is “Communicating Our American Values and Vision.” I was thinking maybe this could be a next step after this Occupy movement. You can download it for free from there. Click on the the page called “A Progressive Handbook.”
Friend: Well, I don’t know anything about empathy or democracy, but I like YOU. I’ll read a chapter for you and meet you for coffee. You seem to think this is important. I’ll check it out.
You’ve now started to explore chartering a Caring Citizens Chapter. Who knows where it might take you? America and her citizens NEED YOU to invite someone to a conversations that matters. Why not make a list right now and call the first person today?
