An American endeavor

I'm pleased to report that civic engagement is alive and well in these United States.

On Tuesday night, several dozen people from thirteen North Shore towns gathered to discuss the issues foremost on their minds, issues on which they hope for change from their government. Ours was a platform meeting, one of some 1,400 such discussions held this week all over the country to advise the Platform Committee of the Democratic party. And very specific advice it will be: our discussion moderator helped the group to brainstorm a list of topics, then to consolidate them in practical ways -- for example, tax equity and trade policy became part of the broader category of the economy; achieving peace in Iraq and using diplomacy more broadly were tucked under the umbrella of foreign policy. We broke into four smaller groups to delve into as many Big Ideas -- the economy, foreign policy, the environment and health care. For a half hour, we debated, suggested, challenged, agreed, and ultimately proposed a handful of bullet points on our respective topics -- talking points to help craft the Democratic platform. Finally, we came together as a large group once again, to air each topic's "wish list," to ask questions and finalize recommendations.

It was a most satisfying evening, in the way endeavoring to serious purpose can be. My fellow citizens brought passion, judgment and insight to the table. Our proposals were mostly clear and reasonably concise. We didn't always find agreement but we painted with broad strokes, and the picture that emerged should pave an easier way to concensus for the Democratic party's Platform Committee when they meet in Pittsburgh next week. It was gratifying that one of their number was among us: he spent the evening listening and came away impressed by our seriousness of purpose and the caliber of our ideas.

I went home wondering where but in America you would find people giving up a summer's evening to discuss the common good. The meeting's organizer described "a hunger out there" for this sort of substantive participation. Given our rural location, the group that came together was surprisingly diverse -- a result that exemplifies America's unique characteristic: we are, in the words of a foreign policy scholar I know, the first truly successful pluralistic society in the history of the world. Clearly, some of us care deeply about this American experiment: by offering opinions and ideas, we do our part to form a more perfect union. On Tuesday night, we were following a pursuit that would have made Jefferson and Adams proud.