Reply #3: Devaluing community

[zipplewrath]

A side effect of the "individual responsibility" crowd is that there is a devaluing of the concept of community. Even predating western european colonization, there was a sense of shared resources in this country. Even after their arrival, there was a sense of shared community. Boston still has their "common" today, although I suspect that one can't graze their sheep there anymore. (was I the only one that found the irony in the Tea Party folks gathering on that "socialist" feature known as the Boston Common?). There are many traditions in the American culture which are centered around the concept of community. The "barn raising" is probably the most enduring. But the bake sale is really a part of that tradition. Communities acting on concert to address common needs. We are losing the concept that communtities can address common needs, and do it through the instrument of their own government (We The People, do we remember that concept?).

I have to chuckle, only because the right doesn't seem to get the concept of irony. But a community near where I live, filled with all manner of right leaning, upper income folks was having trouble with the for profit power company that served their community. So they bought it and turned it into a not for profit public utility. Strangely, I heard no cries of socialism or a "government take over". The only argument was whether it was cost effective.