Difference between revisions of "Civicwiki:Mission"
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A few of the ideas presented on this site are original. In all cases, we have relied heavily on history and the writings of other, more insightful minds. | A few of the ideas presented on this site are original. In all cases, we have relied heavily on history and the writings of other, more insightful minds. | ||
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==A personal statement about the mission== | ==A personal statement about the mission== | ||
The sponsors of Civicwiki have assumed this mission out of our love of a few things. | The sponsors of Civicwiki have assumed this mission out of our love of a few things. | ||
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:We love the idea of living in a country where these rights are guaranteed, and where that ideal is more closely approximated than anywhere else. | :We love the idea of living in a country where these rights are guaranteed, and where that ideal is more closely approximated than anywhere else. | ||
:We were fortunate to have been born in America. We hold the immigrants who chose to come to America out of that same kind of love in high regard. | :We were fortunate to have been born in America. We hold the immigrants who chose to come to America out of that same kind of love in high regard. | ||
| − | Because of our love of the freedom and protection we enjoy in America, we feel driven to do what we can to preserve them. We hope that this does not strike anyone as old fashioned. If it ever becomes out of date, then freedom becomes out of date. We do not think that will happen because the human desire for freedom is eternal. | + | Because of our love of the freedom and protection we enjoy in America, we feel driven to do what we can to preserve them. We hope that this does not strike anyone as old fashioned. If it ever becomes out of date, then freedom becomes out of date. We do not think that will happen because the human desire for freedom is eternal.--> |
| + | <!--We do, however, understand that governments that protect freedom are a small part of the history of civilization, and we sense that an increasing number of Americans take our success for granted.--> | ||
Revision as of 16:32, 12 December 2014
The government of the United States of America has been stable and continuous for almost 230 years. As a constitutional republic of 230 years it is old by historical standards. No other modern government has existed that long or produced such dramatic success for its citizens, and for that matter, for the world. Our founders would be surprised that their work has lasted so long.
For all the brilliant intellect invested in our founding, the longevity of the United States would depend less on the work of our founders than on the character of Americans - something the founders understood well. The Declaration of Independence is a powerful statement and The Constitution is a careful and wise guide to legitimate and stable government. But only the values, beliefs, and character of Americans can give them value. If Americans fall too far away from their principles, The Declaration and Constitution will cease to matter. But what are these principles that were written down so long ago? Should they still matter? Hasn't society changed?
The longevity of our government removes today’s youth 8 or 9 generations from its origins. Not surprisingly, fewer of us today understand or have a sense of our political heritage or the source or our success. We are prosperous and comfortable. Like a fish unaware of salt water, our long-running success has become an uninteresting condition of life. But our continued success is never guaranteed. We are increasingly out of touch with the ideas and human spirit on which that success was built. They must be understood and refreshed if we are to stay ahead of the historical odds.
The Mission
CW's mission is to refresh and explain the ideas and the heritage behind American success.
The original motivation for Civicwiki was the current state of political discourse and the deep social division that has caused. CW was and still is a reaction to the political process as it has become today - filled with unsupported assertion, fact presented out of context, one-sided half-truths, fabrication presented as fact, and rhetoric calculated to elicit an emotional reaction, all to serve political agendas at the expense of truth and the general welfare.
CW's mission is also to provide a forum for fact-based civil discourse, free of demagoguery. And by doing so, to equip voters to make better informed choices.
See also about Civicwiki.
CW presents pursues its mission by presenting the story of freedom in America in several parts
- 1. Inalienable rights.
- 2. Our debt to the recognition of rights and the development of liberty in England
- and then in the English colonies in America
- 3. The ideas, debates, and founding documents that resulted in the United States.
- 4. Economic freedom's role and importance. and
- 5. The big issues that are important to us today.
The best tutorial for how the story is organized is to click on and read the introductory pages for each article category listed on the left sidebar or the upper right of the main page.
At the beginning, a relatively few CW pages are written; most are blank. We must depend on our readers to help us write the pages and maintain content quality. So, CW needs the help of writers and editors. Perhaps you would like to participate.
