It is so easy to be lazy. And it is so easy to blame others.
It seems to me that too many people these days are lazy (at least in the US). And too many people are ready to blame others rather than take responsibility themselves.
All of us can control and are responsible for our own destinies.
Who are we to force democracy on others? Forcing others to practice democracy is by its very nature undemocratic. Would the US have become a successful democracy if some other country had come in and told us we had to conform or else? Hell no!
We don't want others to tell us what to do. Others don't want us to tell them what to do. Democracy by its very nature is rooted in the people. As such it has to grow from the people. Power to the people!
It is far more powerful for us to teach by example. It is far more effective to nurture and grow democracy through education. This takes patience. It takes time. But in the long run it can be successful. And the results are much more likely to sustain themselves.
For democracy (as well as our environment, efficient use of resources, and our world), the US was wrong to invade Iraq.
Who are we to force democracy on others when we oppress others and make them too afraid to speak out?
Be brave, speak out, and be heard. Free speech is necessary for democracy to thrive and spread. If you don't stand up for free speech, who will? It is a requirement for democracy. So do it!
Who are we to force democracy on others when so many of us choose not to participate in our own democracy?
If you really believe in democracy, prove it -- go vote!
Sincerely,
Tim Oey
Sunnyvale, CA
Copyright 2006 Tim Oey
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 543 Howard Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Why Do I Write?
I write to educate and to communicate.
To understand something properly, it is important to read several viewpoints. Then, from these, draw your own conclusions. Do not trust any single source for the whole truth. Do cross check what you read and critically evaluate it to see if it rings true.
At a speech about bicycles and computers for the 1993 LAW National Bicycle Rally in Pennsylvania, I extended the quote "The pen is mightier than the sword" from Edward Bulwer-Lytton to read "The pen is mightier than the sword, and the computer is the mightiest pen yet invented by mankind."
I am pleased that computers and the Internet have greatly expanded the ability of us all to write and to communicate. The US Constitution protects a US citizen's right to bear arms (the second amendment). I believe it is much more important that it continues to protect our right to bear a pen (the first amendment). Freedom of speech is critical to the proper functioning of a democracy.
While I strive to make my writings as accurate, truthful, concise, and clear as possible, I am only human.
Thus, I offer you, the reader, my writings on this blog and hope you find them useful on their own or in conjunction with the writings of others. Peer review is the best way (perhaps the only way?) to build a solid reputation of trustworthiness.
If you find inaccuracies, please let me know. If you find accuracies please let others know and link to my blog.
Sincerely,
Tim Oey
Sunnyvale, CA
Copyright 2006 Tim Oey
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 543 Howard Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.
To understand something properly, it is important to read several viewpoints. Then, from these, draw your own conclusions. Do not trust any single source for the whole truth. Do cross check what you read and critically evaluate it to see if it rings true.
At a speech about bicycles and computers for the 1993 LAW National Bicycle Rally in Pennsylvania, I extended the quote "The pen is mightier than the sword" from Edward Bulwer-Lytton to read "The pen is mightier than the sword, and the computer is the mightiest pen yet invented by mankind."
I am pleased that computers and the Internet have greatly expanded the ability of us all to write and to communicate. The US Constitution protects a US citizen's right to bear arms (the second amendment). I believe it is much more important that it continues to protect our right to bear a pen (the first amendment). Freedom of speech is critical to the proper functioning of a democracy.
While I strive to make my writings as accurate, truthful, concise, and clear as possible, I am only human.
Thus, I offer you, the reader, my writings on this blog and hope you find them useful on their own or in conjunction with the writings of others. Peer review is the best way (perhaps the only way?) to build a solid reputation of trustworthiness.
If you find inaccuracies, please let me know. If you find accuracies please let others know and link to my blog.
Sincerely,
Tim Oey
Sunnyvale, CA
Copyright 2006 Tim Oey
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 543 Howard Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.
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