I was recently asked by Michelle Obama to share my thoughts on how the 2012 Democratic National Convention, being held in my hometown of Charlotte, NC, might be unique and more appealing to the masses. I had a few minutes to reflect on this and respond, but I feel like I passed up a really great opportunity, because immediately after I responded, I realized a much more profound and positive way that the DNC could reach out to the masses: LEAD BY EXAMPLE.
President Obama epitomizes the mantra of "lead by example," from his history of serving the American people directly through his days as a community organizer in the slums of Chicago, to his means of campaign financing. Very rarely, if ever, has Obama seemed to justify the means because of some positive end, and this enraptured the American people to the point that they put him into office as our president.
The 2012 DNC can become as significant of an event as the election of the first African American President if Democrats embraces the theme of Obama's recent State of the Union address: A NEW AMERICA CREATED BY DEVELOPING THE WORLDS LEADING ALTERNATIVE ENERGY ECONOMY.
Here is my proposal: Pick the building that will house the main DNC events in Charlotte and solar panel it. (Charlotte will love this as they are working their butts off to re-imagine the city as a "green" leader!) Then work with the American car companies we all recently bailed out to secure a fleet of electric vehicles for all the officials attending the DNC. Get some of these companies to build a new high security electric/bio-diesel hybrid bus that can carry the President and his family to the event. Get bio-diesel companies to recycle McDonald's grease in a public event showcasing environmental cross-commercial endeavors. Make a big show of everyone arriving at the DNC in these electric cars and when they all get there, they should step out of the cars and plug them into charging stations that are run off of 100% wind power or solar electric from the buildings roof top. Also, to really connect with the youth, get companies like Brammo, who make sexy all electric motorcycles, on board so some officials and DNC attendants can arrive on these and also plug them into the electric charging stations.
Also, before the whole show at the DNC you could organize a nation-wide electric vehicle, and ideally rail, decent on Charlotte. Anyone who could afford them, which is sadly only movie stars and pro-sports players right now, would purchase these alternative vehicles and drive them in a parade to Charlotte. I'll film and direct the documentary for you on this event, but additionally you could publicize it through mass media and social network sites around the nation. This would rally and unite the country in a way that would bring unprecedented attention to the democratic party leading us to a new era in America!
Additionally, since health care has been such a prevalent fight in politics these days, you should invite government officials and employees who have access to government based health care to tell compelling stories about the beautiful benefits of this health care system. The point again is to LEAD BY EXAMPLE.
I will do my best to get this blog post back to the 1st Lady. She inspires me as much as Obama and represents a fantastic model for women striving for success in our society. Her "victory garden" deserves far more attention that it has received. Our food security, and not to mention the health of our nation where 2/3rds of adults are considered obese, will rely on small gardens that re-connect people to the food they eat. So it is here that I will close my suggestions for the 2012 DNC: feed everyone at the convention only local food, beer, and wine. NC abounds with local CSA's, wineries, and beer brewers. Tap into, explore, and celebrate this local abundance so that the American people may remember that we have a lot to offer the world still. And lastly, get rid of the bottled water; this is America, and we can drink from the tap thank you very much.
Don't resign yourselves to the intelligent pondering prince party, but take the reigns as the kingly party who acts on their beliefs!
Sincerely, from a current Denverite who grew up in Charlotte, NC, and with all my love for the future of this nation that has blessed me with so much,
-Matt Talarico
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Robbed and reflected
So,
I apologize for this long delay, and I know that the majority of you are no longer following this blog. That's cool. Regardless, here is the skinny to wrap up the Chilean adventure.
I kept a log of our travels in a nice cork bound journal my parents had got me a few years ago. I would write about Juan Ignacio Fogliatti, a fearless Chilean who lit hills of invasive gorse on fire, disliked foreigners, raised boars and beans, and played on facebook while the cold wind blew in through the holes in the walls. I would write about Mateo from outside Puerto Montt who had crafted a pristine organic permaculture-esque farm where goats gave birth to twins that would need help nursing, and the yellow house in the forest where we lived on this fertile land. I would write about delirious 22 hour bus rides with no sleep, where 300 pound women stole food from their children and snored sonic explosions while the toilet claimed it's place as my second seat, whether I was resting my arms or arse on it. And then I would go on to write about Valparaiso, were it not for the fact that in Valparaiso we were robbed at gunpoint, at which point, my journal, and camera, both with beautiful and well crafted memories stored deep within their innards, were taken away. The emotional reeling after such an experience feels distorting to say the least. When you realize such items are gone, but that you still have the love of your life, not to mention your own life, right there in front of you, things seem fine. But reliving the moment, to question how things could have played out differently, comes as part of the post-robbing package. Whether you want it to or not! The fury and misplaced delusions that I was a mercenary ready to avenge my wrongdoers subsided in the house of Pablo Neruda. Not ironic at all. The power of eccentric beauty will always have the capacity to subdue anger and violence and so it is there, in the well preserved, well loved, well though out house of Pablo Neruda that our trip began to wind down. We had one more day following this excursion to sink in to the colors, smells, tastes, and of course, charm, of this seaside town. In the following weeks, returning from Chile to everyday life in CO, I found it next to impossible to pin down a phrase that could describe Chile; in transition? Yes. In need of a hug. Yes. Beautiful and somewhat inaccessible in a month. Totally. If anything, it was another adventure that will sink into me, just more slowly than some, and potentially, more powerfully.
I apologize for this long delay, and I know that the majority of you are no longer following this blog. That's cool. Regardless, here is the skinny to wrap up the Chilean adventure.
I kept a log of our travels in a nice cork bound journal my parents had got me a few years ago. I would write about Juan Ignacio Fogliatti, a fearless Chilean who lit hills of invasive gorse on fire, disliked foreigners, raised boars and beans, and played on facebook while the cold wind blew in through the holes in the walls. I would write about Mateo from outside Puerto Montt who had crafted a pristine organic permaculture-esque farm where goats gave birth to twins that would need help nursing, and the yellow house in the forest where we lived on this fertile land. I would write about delirious 22 hour bus rides with no sleep, where 300 pound women stole food from their children and snored sonic explosions while the toilet claimed it's place as my second seat, whether I was resting my arms or arse on it. And then I would go on to write about Valparaiso, were it not for the fact that in Valparaiso we were robbed at gunpoint, at which point, my journal, and camera, both with beautiful and well crafted memories stored deep within their innards, were taken away. The emotional reeling after such an experience feels distorting to say the least. When you realize such items are gone, but that you still have the love of your life, not to mention your own life, right there in front of you, things seem fine. But reliving the moment, to question how things could have played out differently, comes as part of the post-robbing package. Whether you want it to or not! The fury and misplaced delusions that I was a mercenary ready to avenge my wrongdoers subsided in the house of Pablo Neruda. Not ironic at all. The power of eccentric beauty will always have the capacity to subdue anger and violence and so it is there, in the well preserved, well loved, well though out house of Pablo Neruda that our trip began to wind down. We had one more day following this excursion to sink in to the colors, smells, tastes, and of course, charm, of this seaside town. In the following weeks, returning from Chile to everyday life in CO, I found it next to impossible to pin down a phrase that could describe Chile; in transition? Yes. In need of a hug. Yes. Beautiful and somewhat inaccessible in a month. Totally. If anything, it was another adventure that will sink into me, just more slowly than some, and potentially, more powerfully.
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