This is YOUR country, city, town, home. Stand Up!

"Time goes by, time brings changes, you change, too
Nothing comes that you can't handle, so on you go
Never see it coming, the world caves in on you
On your town
Nothing you can do."

Our Town by James Taylor

I live in a dying town. I live in a city that everyone is counting out. It was once a huge, beautiful, working city. It is now a corrupt, scary, and vastly empty shell. This is my city. I live in Detroit, Michigan.

There are no jobs. There is no education. There is no safety. There are plans. There are ideas. But there really isn't much hope.

Glenn Beck of Fox News recently compared Detroit to Hiroshima, not of today but of yesterday.  He talked about how Detroit fell because of corrupt Democrats and the Union, how trying to be too progressive helped lead to the city's destruction and how there isn't enough free market. He's wrong, at least in part. 

It is the fault of every crook who took money that wasn't theirs. It is the fault of every drug dealer on the corner. It is the fault of every person who threw trash into streets. It is the fault of government bodies that forgot who they serve. Its the fault of companies that take advantage of the disadvantaged. It is the fault of every person that didn't stand up when their city was falling down. Its my fault. Its your fault.

It can and will happen to your town, your city, your home if you don't stand up for what's right. Don't base what you do or believe on what's popular or the lesser evil. Don't lay down while the drug dealers open a house on your block. Don't leave your garbage for someone else to pick up. Fight to be better then that.

Instead of using Detroit as a poster example against your opponents beliefs and policies, use it to show what we don't want to happen and how to help what already has. People need to look beyond the party and class lines to see that if we keep pulling apart then we, as a whole, as a nation, will fail.

This isn't just about Detroit. Michigan is seeing many disturbing changes. Schools are failing across the country. So before you say that Detroit isn't your problem, look carefully at your state and your town. Look beyond the walls of your home and see what could happen. We are all part of the same country, the same fabric, so when there is a major snag it can unravel the whole tapestry.

A law in Arizona about illegal aliens as the whole US taking sides. Why? What does Arizona have to do with New York, California, or Iowa? Simple, if it (what ever "it" is) can happen there then it can happen anywhere. I would rather the good spread then the bad.

It starts at home, in your home. Raise your family right and don't expect others, like a teacher, to do it for you. Police your family and others won't have to. Tend your yard in a way that makes you feel safe and beautiful.

Watch your block to keep it safe. Be that annoying neighbor that reports stolen cars and abused children. Be that good neighbor that helps out the elderly woman shovel out each winter and checks on her when the heat of summer threatens.

Don't pass the buck onto some label. If your city is in trouble, then become part of the solution. Write letters, vote in every election, even the small ones, and educate others on what can be done. Do the same for your country. Don't stand for other people running your life, ruining your country, and taking your rights. 

Detroit doesn't have to be a place of ruins. It can be a place of growth and rebirth just like Hiroshima. But it isn't the politicians that will save it, it is the everyday people. Like you. Like your children. Like me. Like my children. And it is those everyday people who will either lay down or stand up for America and the rights of everyone living under her flag.

"Main street isn't main street anymore
No one seems to need us like they did before
It's hard to find a reason left to stay
But it's our town
Love it anyway
Come what may, it's our town."

Peace, Love, and Freedom!

Special Manners 101 - No two alike...

When you are someone with disabilities or are the caregiver of one, you learn quickly a few simple facts. Not everyone understands simple common courtesies. So as we blog and I think of things I'll include them here. I would love to hear your thoughts and solutions as well.

Special Manners #100: 

Don't assume you know everything about this disability because you know somebody, who knows somebody who has this disability. You may even have a close friend or a family member dealing with it, but you still don't know it all.

Just like typical children, no two disabled or special needs kids are totally alike. I know Meg's autism. I know her quirks, sensitivities, and needs. I have several friends with children that have autism. I know some of the traits. We compare notes on what works and what doesn't but our children are very different.

Good meaning (or not) family and friends may not see your child as the special and unique individuals that they are. They may also see "nothing wrong" with your child if they can't see the disability. When they talk about your child they may even tell others that there isn't anything wrong. That can create a mess. I understand that not seeing my son have a seizure makes it hard to understand what we go through with him. On the other hand it doesn't make it not real. 

The Manner: Don't think you know all there is to know about someone's life, disability, or struggle. Be accepting and open. Follow their lead, not your own idea of how things should go while keeping in mind that not everyone even needs you to pay them any special way and others may need you to adjust to them.