Tom Hayden died on October 23rd, and a few days later I mentioned the following piece of good advice from Tom, gleaned from an obituary that appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle:
A citizen [is] obliged not only to vote, but also to disagree with those [for whom] he [or she has] voted. Dissent has been crucial to positive social change.
Now, I can refer you to a tribute to Tom appearing in the November 14, 2016 edition of The Nation. Tom's authorship of The Port Huron Statement is featured in The Nation's brief retrospective, and I am providing a link, for those who have never read it.
It was the Port Huron Statement that first introduced me to the phrase that I continue to believe is the best definition of a healthy politics:
Participatory Democracy
I have often put it this way: If we want to have self-government, we need to get involved in government ourselves.
The Nation begins its tribute to Tom by saying that Tom "rests in peace," though its tribute ends with a wish that Tom will have "good luck organizing the angels."
If participatory democracy is our objective, "resting" isn't in the playbook!
Image Credit:
https://www.thenation.com/article/tom-hayden-and-the-unfinished-business-of-democracy/
Thank you for publishing this important social, political, economic document by Tom Hayden et al in 1962; it rings true for our current "We the People = The 99% of Us" who are fighting to protect Humanity and our Planet, now in 2016/2017...
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome! I completely agree with your evaluation of the Port Huron Statement.
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