[Got an anonymous confession or rant you just have to share with the world? Submit it to I, Anonymous HERE!—eds]
This economy sucks, and elected officials seem too busy (privatizing public institutions, giving free money to those who already have plenty, or pocketing taxpayer dollars) to help. I’m done waiting for them to act, I’m taking matters into my own hands, and I’d want you to join me.
Many revolutionaries look forward to a better world, I refuse to accept that we can’t make one now. Our city has problems that we could all contribute to solving today, and without too much effort. While we obviously can’t fix everything, here are 3 things we can do now.
First: don’t fuck it up. We live here together, and some of us put chewing gum on bus signs. Some of us leave trash behind. Some folks break windows. Knock that all off. If you see your neighbor doing these things, remind them that this gives cover to shitty politicians who want to cut all of the budgets. If nobody breaks a window on a TriMet train, then TriMet doesn’t have to dip into their already shallow budget, that Salem should fund better, to fix a broken window.
Second: don’t walk over the mess. There’s a good amount of litter in our community. Pick some up. Salem and city hall should do more, but they’re too busy cutting checks to private businesses. Is something broken that you could fix? Fix it. If you see gum on a bus sign, find a piece of paper (there’s probably some nearby), take it off and throw it in one of the bins that are probably nearby. It won’t be “clean,” but it will be better.
Third: be a good neighbor to everybody. We have thousands of people in our community with serious problems beyond their control. They may be unhoused, they may have drug problems, they may even piss on your property; but they’re still our neighbors. Nobody improves with the application of abuse.
None of this is hard, and some of it may seem naïve, but it really does help. I serve my neighbors in these ways, and some of my neighbors have started doing the same.
Join this revolution; we can make a difference.—Anonymous