We live in a time of historically low trust and confidence in our institutions, whether they be banks, big business, the federal government, police, the media, science or religion. It doesn’t seem to be skepticism, but a more deeply rooted cynicism.
There’s a danger in such deep-seated cynicism. Democracy as a form of government requires an underlying trust in institutions, the rule of law and its enforcement. Now, the idea that we are all Americans who hold the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as the core organizing principles upon which we base our allegiances is under attack from within and outside our borders.
The notion that we will battle in elections, but then come together and govern for the good of the whole has severely eroded. I worry about the future for my children and grandchildren. I ask myself how do we break this negative, downward cycle. What can I do as an individual? What can Treesource do to strengthen our democratic behavior? [Read more…]
Treesource hadn’t planned more extensive coverage of wildfires. Then the events of this summer and fall imposed themselves on us.
