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View Full Version : The REAL town hall - good idea? can you help?




rayzer
08-14-2009, 12:37 PM
I just acquired: realtownhall.com and therealtownhall.com.

The general idea is to get a real discussion going online that will ultimately lead to real discussion going in REAL meetings around the country. Below is some sample text that would serve as something like an "about us" page. Does this make sense? Can it gain any traction in "sheeple-land"? Would you like to get involved and help me get this project off the ground?

WELCOME TO THE REAL TOWN HALL!

Are you tired of meaningless political debate?

Let’s face it. The REAL debate is not about POLITICS. It is NOT about left vs. right, conservative vs. liberal; these are merely a distraction.

The REAL debate that is at the core of every issue that affects our lives is: What is the role of government?

But guess what? This is NOT a new debate. This issue has been debated and written about for centuries by the some of the greatest minds recognized today. Plato and Socrates wrote extensively on the role of government. The Magna Carta, issued in 1215, set forth a major milestone in this debate. In fact, this debate raged right on through to modern times, culminating, ultimately, with a war of independence that was fought after the founding this “new world”; America!

America was a place where people were not born into a massive, pre-conceived governmental structure; where young minds were born free to explore the world and once again, recognize their role in it, and their place in nature. But it didn’t last. After approximately 200 years of real freedom, the 13 colonies of Great Britain found themselves at a cross roads, where the debate took a sharp turn from a strictly philosophical one, into one that had a direct affect on the day-to-day reality of each and every colonist.

In 1763, at the end of the French and Indian War, the colonists were faced with the reality that their real freedom was in jeopardy. It became apparent that the British crown did not believe that this new-found freedom was very meaningful. Indeed, the colonists had thrust upon them the sudden harsh reality that their freedom was not free; that the British Crown was inextricably intertwined with a system of old debts to banks, old obligations to royalty, and old wars of conquest; and that they intended this great new world, to be somehow recognize some obligation to this ancient and corrupt world.

The ultimate outcome of the raging public debate about the role of government in the late 1700s led directly to the issuance of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress, the writing of the Constitution of the United States of America, and the passage of the first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights. So in the end, this debate led directly to the formation of the country we now know as the United States of America.

Now is the time to reinvigorate this ancient public debate. But let us recognize that without knowing were the debate starts, we certainly cannot expect to come to any meaningful conclusions of where it may lead. The starting point of this debate lies not with a derived, two-sided political game created by a corporate owned media and two top-down controlled political party machines, but with a thoughtful reflection on the modern role of government.

This debate really begins where it seems to have left off in 1791, with the ratification of the Bill of Rights. Welcome to the REAL debate. Welcome to the Real Town Hall!

elielevin
08-16-2009, 08:36 PM
I do think this is a good idea.

Re the question:
Will people in "sheeple" land join in? I think much depends upon the way you/we publicize this out there. In reading D'Toqueville, I learned that in the past Americans were accustomed to discussing their Constitution and the role of government. These were ordinary Americans--perhaps much like those who are called "sheeple" on these forums? There are a lot of people waking up and some of those will likely be interested in these questions. But one thing I do know, is that there will be great diversity in knowledge among them. So this conversation must be gentle and those who participate must feel safe to discuss and to learn. I am not sure how best to handle this--as we also want there to be some sophistication for those who do have a good deal of background and knowledge.

Looking forward to the discussions!

fr33domfightr
08-17-2009, 11:16 AM
Maybe it should be called "Online Town Hall," using onlinetownhall.com. I don't know if that's taken though.

It would be nice if various ideas could be consolidated into 1 concise sentence or description that might describe the idea. I see discussions going on, but it would be nice to see a summary of ideas brought up, and perhaps voted on to see how people like them.


FF

rayzer
08-18-2009, 05:19 PM
Fr33dom, what other disucssions do you see going? Can you help consolidate?

fr33domfightr
08-18-2009, 11:14 PM
Fr33dom, what other disucssions do you see going? Can you help consolidate?

What I meant was, on this blog, or that one, facebook, Myspace, etc., etc. Ideas are posted by many people, but rarely does someone summarize the ideas and get some kind of consensus on the most popular ideas. The purpose is to get something out of the meetings. To get something meaningful out of the time people put into it. That's what I'd like to see in the townhall.


FF