Time to move over, America
“America isn’t the greatest country in the world,” begins Jeff Bridges during the opening segment of the TV series The Newsroom. We, the audience, are then schooled on exactly how America isn’t the greatest country in the world.
It’s an inspiring rant that gives voice to something deep: the idea that ‘We used to be…’ followed by the inevitable whisper from the dark corners, ‘… we can be again.”
The call to greatness is the whisper that shouts. It is the whisper that comes from the depths, that wants a better and saner existence. It’s a call that says, ‘if my life matters, then all of these lives matter.’ Because the call to greatness must include something beyond our one, singular life.
It is in those collective edges of our existence that we grow as individuals and as a society. When we engage with others, for a cause greater than ourselves and for the collective good, we grow. We live out our own core values as they align with the common good. In this way we nourish our own soul along with our collective one. We are part of something greater.
California has a lot of ‘greatness’ going for it. We lead the world in responding to climate change. We are the 5th largest economy on the planet. Californians are a diverse and vibrant people. We are world leaders in technology and entertainment. We feed much of America. And at the federal level, we give more than we receive. We believe in people. We take in immigrants and make them our own, influencing each other. We protect the very fabric of our communities by becoming a Sanctuary State, and so much more.
California has a dream. We dream of a world where character, not skin color, determines our worth. We live in a world where all humans have the right to exist, to have access to housing, food, safety and health care. We dream of a world fully engaged in the reversal of climate change, where California leads the world in Universal Health Care, and provides an educated workforce. We dream of a society that is inspired to greatness, rather than beaten into desperation with systems-enforced cycles of poverty. We dream of a world where policy is based on science and best practices, not the beliefs of a few. We dream of a world where diversity is our core cultural value.
So isn’t it time to join the growing voices that continue to lead California to greatness? Join the California National Party. Join the conversation that embraces all Californians on the path to inspired greatness. Let’s continue to build a California that exemplifies these values.
Join us in our dream. Take 5 minutes to become a member of the California National Party. Let’s work together on our collective vision for the shared civic project of ‘California for All.’
Robin M Powers
Inyo County Lead