The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

It's not often that I get a day to spend organizing things only to have my computer and Internet Explorer screw it all up.  That said, I think I can manage a blog post before I consider throwing things a la 2001 at my computer screen in the vain hope that my computer and IE will not destroy hours of my hard work (not that I'm going to hold my breath or anything.)

The Good

A while back I talked with you about the Civil Rights Act.  Since it was made a law, there have been a lot of terrible things, but also a lot of good things, too.  People learned that if they stood up against something that was wrong, they could change it.  They learned that in spite of hatred and violence, good and right can prevail--but only if people are willing to fight--and die--for it.  There shouldn't be a single person left alive who believes that hatred and violence are the right way to do anything; and yet, every day we are confronted by those with power abusing it--using it to treat people who have differing points of view, or a difference of religion, or a different color of skin--in some barbaric and inhumane fashion.  But that one law--that one law has begun to change the way that we deal with one another, and that is important.

It is important because it forces us to consider other opinions and viewpoints that may not be our own.   It forces us to confront our own prejudices and our own bigotry.  And it forces us to remember that we should treat every person in a manner which we might wish to one day be treated ourselves.

To that end, and because it is Black History month, I wanted to share a pictorial timeline of that historic moment in our country's history.  Please take a moment to look through those pictures--to remember or consider what those moments meant, and to think about how they have changed the world for the better.

The Bad

Our infrastructure is old--really old, and it needs to be revitalized, from our roads to our schools, our dams and levees to our railroad tracks and electricity grid.  In fact, there is so much that needs to be done that this year the American Society of Civil Engineers gave us an almost failing grade in nearly every area I just mentioned.

I urge you to take a look at this related article and to read it all.  It highlights some of the challenges that we are facing, as well as outlining some of the costs for the work that needs to be done, and many of the costs that have resulted from this NOT being done.

I think it's time that Americans sat down to have a real conversation about this issue, however.  It's important for the future of our nation and also for the future of our businesses, our cities, and our lives.  These costs get passed on to us in several ways that may not seem very tangible but which, over time, can add up--sometimes tragically with the loss of lives.

"A stitch in time saves nine" as the saying goes, and the author of this article, Rob Garver, gives some good reasons why we ought to embark upon this endeavor now--rather than later.

The Ugly

And now with that done, I am going to go and contain my inner rage and try to start over again with all the stuff I was working on earlier.

Oh, and leave you with this:


Cheers!