Replace complacency with community action

I wrote this a while back, prior to the immergence of COVID-19. Perhaps this is all one and the same, a symptom of a diseased system that needs attention. Are we waking up at last?

The fall of the Roman Empire has been on my mind. While reading the New York Times those thoughts were put into words by Ross Douthat. He writes about decadence.

He states that it took 400 years of decadence for the Roman Empire to finally crash. He places technology, as in the Silicon Valley ephemeral technology, as the root of this era of decadence. The advances in the cyber world leads to abundance on multiple levels, yet with a depleted interest to participate in developing innovations on the physical plane.

When I think of decadence I fear the worst, that luxury takes over, stagnation and complacency become the norm. Douthat sees this as a change from verbal outspoken discontentment to online written combustion via social media, a faceless demon that can go too far by rogue performers.

I am impressed by our community, that we have verbally expressed our discontent through platforms that are set up for such: papers, town halls, school board meetings, community gatherings. We are not a complacent bunch. It is this “boots on the ground” action of individuals, expressing ourselves and knowing that we will be heard, that propels us forth actively. We can bring in positive change by voicing concerns, grievances, joys, and acknowledgements person to person, face to face.

So, let’s talk about climate change and adjustments we can make here in La Conner. Let’s talk about best use of community funds to take the information gathered here locally to make progressive decisions for our future wellbeing. We can do this as a community. We can do this because we actively care; we will not be caught in the stupor that decadence can breed, not our community.

On top of this, we have a newspaper that is doing a great job keeping us aware. We are fortunate to have a local paper. As readers, of which I hope we are many, we are taking an active interest, possibly leading to an active role; regardless, we remain informed.

Thank you La Conner Weekly News, keep it coming. The printed word matters, inquiring minds want to know.

Katie Carson

Mount Vernon/La Conner