View from the line on Judd Plaza
Some in this venue have suggested that Ashland is the apathy capital of the world. Some of my experience at Judd would seem to confirm that view, but as I’ve continued to walk the line daily, I’ve seen a gradual change in the awareness of those who travel back and forth on Winchester Ave. More and more travelers are responding.
When we started here in October and early November, most people didn’t seem to comprehend what was going on at the Plaza, they either ignored us, or looked at us in confusion. There were, of course a few who knew or thought they knew what we were about, and they enthusiastically showed their support or their disapproval. But awareness seems to be slowly on the rise. The ratio of responses per volume of traffic has increased substantially. In the beginning, less than ten percent of travelers responded to us one way or another, but the responses have continually increased, so that now if feels like perhaps as much as 40 percent are responding (depending on the day and weather). It seems that more and more Ashlanders are becoming aware of the problems we’ve been trying to point out, and are willing to respond to our pointing them out. Yes, we get quite a few negative responses, but most of the responses are positive. And as I said in my last post, whether you agree with me or not is irrelevant to me, that you think about it and respond is all I’m looking for.
Partisan politics is not the focus, nor the reason for our presence at Judd Plaza. The reason is to act as a catalyst, to provoke thought and discussion about the very urgent problems that face us as a nation and as a community. We all know that there is something terribly wrong in this country. There are, of course, differing views on how to fix those problems. And that’s a good thing. No one has all the answers, though some (especially extreme partisans) will try to convince us that they do. We all need to listen to each other’s points and interests and find common ground to work together.
We had an interesting conversation with a young, conservative, business owner the other day. We felt it was instructive for us; we conceded a few points that he brought up, he conceded a couple to us, and we found areas where we completely agreed. In the end, I'm sure no one changed their mind about their political leanings, but we all came away with an understanding of where we agreed and could find some common ground. I'd love to speak with this gentleman again when he has more time.
My perception of those areas of agreement are: Nothing is going to change overnight; everyone needs to “study” the issues and candidates, not just listen to partisan propaganda. Then everyone needs to vote for the issues and candidates that support their (the voter’s) vested interests. There is one more thing, it’s not over after a vote. The next most important thing is to hold those we’ve elected and their appointees accountable for their actions, either for or against our interests, and take appropriate actions if they disappoint us.
