Back on Point - Who's Stepping Up To The Plate?

**A*@aol.com**

Getting back to the brilliant, though flawed (aren't we all?) Thomas 
Jefferson, who favored an early American republic of farmers. 

Many people in this society believe that their political class is something 
separate from themselves.  I believe that in this democracy, it is possible 
for every voting community gardener to be able to accrue some small political 
power for themselves and their community if they are willing to figuratively 
hold their noses while stirring the manure into the compost.  

There is a piece in the ACGA's 2003 Community Greening Review called, "The 
Citizen Gardener: Politics 101 for Folks Who Would Rather Be Turning 
Compost," on how nice green-thinking people have empowered themselves in my 
Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, and maybe could do the same in yours.  If you 
send in your ACGA membership ($25 bucks and you get other goodies)  <A 
HREF="http://www.communitygarden.org/";>American Community Gardening 
Association</A>  soon, you can get this article along with some remarkable 
pieces on Green Infrastucture and Research in a really nifty magazine. 

Not to undercut the sales of the Greening Review, but I have a version of the 
article in lecture form which I'll be delighted to send to anybody who 
e-mails me directly ( Adam36055@aol.) 

Guaranteed, anyone who reads the article and implements the step-by-step 
instructions in  it, will be able to "collect markers" and, with practice, 
will be able to learn how to use "smoke and mirrors" to the advantage of 
their community, the confusion of their enemies,  and  the surprise and 
delight of their friends.

But first, you have to be willing to step up to the plate. 

Best wishes,
Adam Honigman, Volunteer  <A HREF="http://www.clintoncommunitygarden.org/";>
Clinton Community Garden</A>  and traditional grass roots politician.

Community Gardening is 50% gardening and 100% grassroots political action. 

<< Subj:     Re: [cg] RE: Who's Stepping Up To The Plate?
 Date:  3/31/03 6:16:15 PM Eastern Standard Time
 From:  Pat_Elazar@cwb.ca
 Sender:    community_garden-admin@mallorn.com
 To:    jverin@Pennhort.org (John Verin)
 CC:    community_garden@mallorn.com, community_garden-admin@mallorn.com

 Paco contributed: As it is, many/most Americans don't have values grounded 
in 
 gardening...(snip)...During a Republican convention, I believe for G. Bush 
 Sr, they had an African American senator boast how he "... a black man, 
 got off the farm he grew up on to make it in this world, and isn't America 
 great?" (It was a vulgar racial prop if you asked me). So the farm and 
 being a farmer is something to reject and get away from...

 Patrick counters: Not just politicians, not just right-wingers & not just 
Americans 
 either. After all, didnt Marx promise to release peasant workers from "the 
 idiocy of rural life"? All of our contemporary world ideologies are 
 "anti-nurturer" with nurturers defined as caregivers- either childcare; 
 healthcare or earthcare (farmers being the latter). Thats Wendell Barry's 
 theory, btw, not mine.

 As we speak, ex farmers in Russia & China are deserting the former 
 Kolkhozi & peoples communes in droves for 60% unemployment in the city 
 because they think they that life prospects are better there. Ditto for 
 campesinos in Mexico, felahin in Egypt & multitudes of small farmers in 
 Africa.

 My own home farm (a kibbutz outside of Jerusalem) is actually rented out & 
 my former partners are all working at off-farm puruits.

 When I read my own spiritual sources like the Torah & Talmud, I see 
 passages like: "If you are planting a tree when the messiah comes, finish 
 planting the tree & then go greet the messiah". There is similar wisdom in 
 the holy Koran & in the works of Homer also. We have gotten far, far away 
 from our wisdom....

  >>

______________________________________________________
The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org

To post an e-mail to the list:  community_garden@mallorn.com

To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription:  https://secure.mallorn.com/mailman/listinfo/community_garden