By Joseph Rittenhouse
Sedona, AZ — On July 4th America celebrates 250 years of independence.
The day we signed the Declaration of Independence we established Home Rule in our country.
England tried as hard s it could to stop us, demanding that the colonies be forced to exists under no home rule, rules, sending one of the most feared armies in the world at that time to squish the rebellion.
Thus, both sides, through mortal combat, battled to determine who would rule the continent, them or us!
For Home Rule the Patriots organized and declared their independence
For Home rule they armed themselves and prepared to fight.
For Home Rule they killed and died.
Under Home Rule we built a country.
Under Home Rule our government exists.
Under Home Rule our home is our castle.
The concept of Home Rule is ingrained in the marrow of our consciousness and being, heart and soul.
That is why Sedona will vote yes on Home Rule.
Those two words carry the weight of self-government, local control, independence, and the ancient human instinct to protect one’s own house.
That is why the argument is so difficult for anti-Home Rule factions to win. They may have logic. They may have numbers. They may have criticism. They may have frustration. They may even be right.
But the other side has “home.”
And in American life, that is one powerful piece of ground to stand on.
This is not merely politics.
It is symbolism.
And symbols run deep — far deeper than logic.
When voters hear “Home Rule,” many do not hear a technical expenditure formula. They hear something far more primal. They hear the echo of an idea this nation was built upon — that people should have a voice in governing the place they call home.
That is why Home Rule rules. It’s the nature of who we are, as individuals and nation.
7 Comments
Well put! Sedona residents are fortunate that they get to double-dip on Patriotism this year, with a YES vote on Home Rule, aka Proposition 400!
It’s OUR money to spend on OUR Community.
I want us to have MORE Meals On Wheels, MORE recycling opportunities, and EVEN MORE support for our wonderful Community institutions like the Library & the Humane Society.
I want to City employees keep getting salaries in line with the Nation’s best practices, so that we can keep hiring qualified, experienced, & competent personnel that can afford to live here.
Because running a major tourist destination is no job for an amateur!
I want MORE sidewalks and Shared Use Paths, where friends & families can stroll up to 4 abreast & wheelchairs can maneuver with ease. And keep them visually pleasing, with red rocks for barriers & why not some sculpture art?
I want MORE solutions to traffic congestion that ALSO benefit the less affluent among us, like Sedona Shuttle Connect!
MORE outdoor gathering spaces for the Community, with shade & why not some public drinking fountains, too!
Cover parking lots with SOLAR & WIND TURBINES for shade and get ahead of the curve on the RENEWABLE REVOLUTION. Our Sedona must stop waiting to get on the bandwagon & LEAD THE WAY as our Nation embarks on its next quarter-millennium!
I want NON-PROFIT EV CHARGERS everywhere, to encourage residents & visitors to make the switch while they shop, stroll or hike!
And that’s just for starters!
SO absolutely, YES on HOME RULE! YES on OUR MONEY getting spent BY US and FOR US! It’s just THE AMERICAN WAY!
HAPPY 4th of July to all!
Great ideas every single one-
But “Windmills” Michelle? Oh my you know the a fighting words for TDS victims who believe Trump’s every word! Like windmills cause cancer 😂🤣😂🤣! Think theirs even a hill named windmill hill here? Wonder why it was called that so very long ago?
Solar? Why not a big assed smoking diesel generator powering a bunch of outdoor AC units run on Freon? Heck make it a “clean” coal powered generator and I’m all in!
Isn’t fun making light of feeble minds? I’m laughing at those who will oppose you here shortly not you Michelle, you have a brain.
Wow spell check ate that post up-
Should’ve read-
Great ideas every single one-
But “Windmills” Michelle? Oh my you know they are fighting words for TDS victims who believe Trump’s every word! Like windmills cause cancer 😂🤣😂🤣! Think there’s even a hill named windmill hill here? Wonder why it was called that so very long ago? Maybe because it was cheap efficient, effective power that required nothing but wind?
Solar? Why not a big assed smoking diesel generator powering a bunch of outdoor AC units that run on Freon? Heck make it a “clean” coal powered generator and I’m all in!
Isn’t fun making light of feeble minds? I’m laughing at those who will oppose you here shortly not you Michelle, you have a brain.
Yes, JB, I have a brain and I am not afraid of using it, for all I am of the female persuasion. I believe feeble minds can and should be strengthened with time and education, if only to help protect their owners from the deceptive practices of those who would make careers & amass fortunes by preying on them.
But thank you for an opportunity to clarify that the wind turbines I have in mind are WIND TURBINE TREES, which are biomorphic vertical-axis micro-wind turbine systems designed to blend seamlessly into urban and natural environments. In other words, they look like trees that have “branches” fitted with clumps of “leaves” which spin in the wind to generate electricity. Can be installed almost anywhere & fitted with batteries to store the generated power. Plenty of images available online.
But patriotism is an affair of the heart, and that’s what led me to want to chime in on the original post. Patriotism as not only love for / pride in one’s Community, but also a firm, rational conviction that it always can and always should do even better.
That is why I, too, SUPPORT HOME RULE (viz., YES on Proposition 400) as a tool to allow OUR SEDONA to keep USING OUR MONEY to BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY — and that means EVERYONE here, not just the able-bodied and the affluent (SO many of whom have a strikingly hard time grasping the difference between PUBLIC SERVICE and personal profit-generating activity).
And I SUPPORT HOME RULE in the firm belief that OUR MONEY can and should be wisely used to SUPPORT & EXPAND on Sedona’s many exemplary actions and institutions dedicated to Sustainability, Safety, Charity, Education, & the Arts.
Because THAT is what LIFE, LIBERTY, & THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS is all about — and our Nation’s 250th Birthday is as good a time as any to step up!
So YES! on HOME RULE (Proposition 400 on your Ballot)!
And Happy 250th 4th of July to all!
Another great post Michelle and grand idea on the biomorphic vertical-axis micro-wind turbine systems. Are they available as commercial grade power generators and storage systems? I’ve often considered a wind turbine powered greenhouse. Certainly gets windy enough for one to be a valid investment.
As for Patriotism, I agree with your viewpoints on it. It’s a bit different than my own and that of many other military veterans I know. I’m a firm believer in JFK’s “ask not what you country can do for you!” “ask what you can do for your country!” Sadly those currently in power think the inverse and are all about self enrichment. There’s several crooked Democrats who think as those currently holding all of the power. Time to take all of the money out of all of our politics and make the jobs what they were intended to be- Public Servant/Service Jobs (not positions of faux royalty).
To me selfless service whether it’s as a soldier, firefighter, law enforcement officer, teacher, non profit volunteer etc. Is what Patriotism is and means. Giving back to a country that should be taking care of each and every single one of us regardless of sexual orientation, race, country of origin or religion but unfortunately is not! When it is and does we should all be thankful. When it doesn’t like now, we should all be furious.
Country is about the many not the few privileged people who think because they’re wealthy that they’re somehow great Americans for accruing their riches off of the backs of others they pay the bare minimum, hire temp agencies so they can hire temporary employees that have zero rights to any job security or benefits and so on and so forth.
When I joined the military I was Joe Patriot, Ranger Rick eager to foolishly die for it. After spending a decade on various battlefields that bullshit bravado has been knocked out of my sails. Seeing the Jan 6 insurrection made me embarrassed to be a veteran, Patriot and selfless servant to a country that just went fascist. What a damned disgrace. But that was the point of Jan 6th wasn’t it? To make true patriotic Americans question their values and unleash their racist fury upon their fellow citizens. So after 5 years of nonstop lies, hate and corruption I know in my heart of hearts that standing up to their criminality and lies and speaking truth to power is the best way to combat the lies and disinformation they spread online and on the airwaves all day everyday just like a good old fashioned “Communist” (truly fascist not Communist by definition) Propaganda Machine! One of my sworn enemies! One of America’s sworn enemies and an enemy to the free world, but sadly our new normal. At least until November where we will either see them voted out on their asses or we’ll see an election that never happens and Martial Law declared by cowards who fear people know they are losers more than anything else one can say about them.
Happy birthday American Government! May you live to see Democracy again! (There were people living here thousands of years before us so the country is far older than 250 years so I refuse to insult their intelligence).
Thank you for your kind words, and your service — and for expanding my understanding of patriotism. Beyond a state of mind, there are all kinds of ways to step up, aren’t there. Voting for Home Rule (Proposition 400) is just one of the easiest, no-brainer ones available to Sedona residents.
I’m not enough of an expert on WIND TREE TURBINES to offer advice on the specifics, but a simple google search would be a good place to start to see if there are any out there that might suit your purpose.
And if you find one & install it, I’m sure we’d all love to read about your experience here!
And a very happy & PATRIOTIC 4th of July to everyone — but to you & yours in particular.
Thank you as well Michelle. I’m always looking for new energy and water saving ways to grow food. I’ve adopted numerous Indigenous growing techniques from local tribes as well as some ancient Roman and ancient Persian techniques, all of which require minimal water for multiple compatible plants or “sisters”.
Hope you know I wasn’t attacking your views as to what Patriotism truly is and means. Your ideals are pretty much inline with my own regarding giving back etc. I do know 100% it is NOT being a racist, sexist, gender phobe, criminal or war monger or anti government militant. Think we likely can agree on that as well. I view my time in the military and overseas as the best eye opener in the word for teaching us how others truly live and what their political and religious beliefs truly are if any. The lies we were all taught in school (from textbooks primarily written by The Daughters of the Confederacy) only made us look ignorant and foolish when dealing with those doing the fighting, ordering the killing and those just trying to survive to see the next day. I’m glad I had the opportunity and experience to open my eyes ears and brains to real world realities. I guess despite the damage it all did to my body, mind and spirit that I’d do it again but only the next time I’d help more innocent people (especially the women, children and elderly who had no fight in them) and focus less on being the aggressive occupier of their land(s). I’d do more to keep my fellow soldiers safe as well. Hindsight is a kick in the head.
Anyway Happy 4th to you and all those who still believe in Democracy, the Constitution and Rule of Law!