DBC with musician/angel Sara Hickman at her Music for Life event
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Who is David B. Collins?
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Why 5% = Victory?
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Why go Green in 2008? (PDF)
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Speech!
a little speech written for, but never used at, a candidates' forum
- Grassroots Democracy
- Social Justice
- Nonviolence
- Ecological Wisdom
- Decentralization
- Community-based Economics
- Feminism & Gender Equity
- Respect for Diversity
- Personal & Global Responsibility
- Future Focus & Sustainability
These values mostly reinforce each other, the last six arising from the four pillars. Sometimes complex issues will pit two or more values against each other. Life is like that. Then it is just a matter of which value holds the most value to you at that time.
So some sample positions reflecting each value might look like this:
Grassroots Democracy:
We believe that citizens should have the time, tools, and motivation to participate in government, and that government should be responsive to the people.
Social Justice:
We should work toward eliminating poverty and the huge gap between the super-rich 1% and the bottom 40%.
Nonviolence:
Negotiate with other nations as peers rather than bullying them. Stop police brutality, end torture and extraordinary rendition, stop using war as a substitute for foreign policy.
Ecological Wisdom:
It makes no sense to ruin our air, water, and soil just to have consumer goods. Make industry, transportation, and our lifestyles more planet-friendly, as other nations have done.
Decentralization:
Where it makes sense, give power back to state and local governments. One-size-fits-all solutions imposed from Washington do not make sense in regions with diverse needs.
Community-based Economics: Wal-Martization of commerce limits career opportunities, especially in poor and "minority" neighborhoods. Everyone benefits when resources stay in the community instead of being siphoned into the Walton family's mansion.
Feminism & Gender Equity:
Equal opportunities in education and employment for both genders, and equal rights for LGBT families, including marriage or some equivalent. Reproductive choice, including access to safe and reliable contraception is a must.
Respect for Diversity:
Texas is already one of the most ethnically diverse states in the USA. Immigrants from Africa, Latin America, and South Asia bring their own customs, habits, holidays, and food, as well as their own problems. Government and business should accommodate and celebrate these differences as long as they harm no one.
Personal & Global Responsibility:
Perhaps individuals cannot keep the whole planet clean and healthy, but they can start in their homes and communities. The United States government can encourage industry not to produce so much nonbiodegradable and toxic waste, and stop shipping that waste to poor countries.
Future Focus & Sustainability:
As the planetary population grows, it is imperative that we use our natural and human resources wisely. We owe it to our descendants to preserve adequate food, water, clean air, and other necessities of life. Saving endangered species, and ensuring biodiversity, benefits our species too.