Being a Democrat and the community (gardens)
Today, a friend encouraged me to write a blog entry about community gardens. We had talked about the issue many months ago, prior to becoming involved in the local Obama campaign, and to be honest, I had actually forgotten about it.
What does this have to do with being a Democrat in Lebanon County? The connection, for me, relates back to a conversation with another friend about the differences between Democrats and Republicans. His opinion was that a Democrat’s motto should be “what can I do for my community?” and I feel fortunate to live in a place where the spirit of community caring and giving is high, regardless of one’s affiliation (or non-affiliation).
We’re living in some hard times, to be sure. One solution (I think) to hard times is self reliance and a helping hand, which is something Lebanon Countians are already pretty good at and it brings me to the fond memories of my childhood when all of old folks had their gardens “out back”. This was probably just a holdover from there upbringing, but they too lived through some hard times.
Not wanting to complain or commiserate without offering solutions, I propose we think about community gardening.
It helps cut down on grocery costs, fosters neighborhood connections, and provides healthy and environmentally safe food (assuming you don’t use too many pesticides). To me, it sounds like a win/win/win situation.
Tags: community guardens, Democrat, food;, Republican
January 9th, 2009 at 6:51 am
After posting this comment, I heard from several of you and we all seem to be in agreement that this is a good concept and that it could work here in Lebanon County, especially in the city where issues such as transportation, land use/available space, knowledge, and economics are all at play. Let’s continue to think about ways to make Lebanon County a safer, more prosperous and secure place for us all to live and work. Thanks for your support.