<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">I was very pleased to see Kelly's announcement.</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">Voting is a responsibility in order to securely hold onto our rights.</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">Her effors are ensuring that our democratice process remains in tact.</DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">I am encouraged to see a strong reaction in support to Kelly's use of the SNA list. I cannot comprehend what logic would suggest that people in a democraty should behave any other way.</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">Amanda<BR><BR></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">----- Original Message ----<BR>From: Bob Trudeau <bobtrudeau@cox.net><BR>To: Neighborhood Summit <Summit@sna.providence.ri.us><BR>Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2008 10:40:46 AM<BR>Subject: [Summit] Politics on the list<BR><BR>Hi all:<BR>Here's a message in FAVOR of politics on the list, which is what we <BR>do on this list anyhow.<BR><BR>Aristotle is often cited as noting that what makes us human is the <BR>ability to form groups to improve our society, to pursue the common <BR>good in more modern parlance. I see this list doing exactly that in <BR>most of its messages: some people want to improve the community by <BR>allowing all night parking, some want to improve it by banning same. <BR>Both are being political in the broad sense of the word. And that's <BR>exactly what we should do, as long as it's
civil. Some want to <BR>prevent this or that, I want to somehow get people to not block their <BR>sidewalks with snow, thick hedges, piles of dirt, etc. All of these <BR>sentiments presume that at some point a community is going to make a <BR>decision that will bind on all of us -- that's politics, and that's <BR>what we're doing, in the best sense of the word.<BR><BR>Many folks unfortunately equate "politics" not with what I've noted <BR>above but with partisanship and political parties. I'm arguing for a <BR>broader definition above, and I'm arguing that we should welcome this <BR>opportunity to use the list to improve the community. But even if <BR>it's partisan politics. So what? That's part of improving <BR>communities, even when we disagree about parties and candidates. <BR>It's often been said that our modern society isolates us --
remember <BR>Pursuit of Loneliness? -- and when that happens we have too few <BR>opportunities to communicate about things that matter. Candidates <BR>and elections matter, and we're often, unless you try very hard, the <BR>prisoner of a few media outlets and slick consultants when it comes <BR>to learning about issues and candidates. Iowa's caucuses are <BR>interesting because people actually meet and talk with each other. <BR>Neat. So if this list can help us exchange views on candidates and <BR>issues, I'm all for it, even if we cross over a line into (gasp) <BR>partisanship.<BR><BR>Gather ye signatures while ye may! Let the list flourish!<BR><BR>Bob Trudeau<BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>Summit mailing list<BR><A href="mailto:Summit@sna.providence.ri.us" ymailto="mailto:Summit@sna.providence.ri.us">Summit@sna.providence.ri.us</A><BR><A
href="http://mail.sna.providence.ri.us/mailman/listinfo/summit_sna.providence.ri.us" target=_blank>http://mail.sna.providence.ri.us/mailman/listinfo/summit_sna.providence.ri.us</A><BR>SNA Website: <A href="http://sna.providence.ri.us/" target=_blank>http://sna.providence.ri.us/</A><BR></DIV>
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