By Anna Von Reitz
I didn't suggest that this morning's meeting be postponed. I suggested that the meeting proposed for 1 PM this afternoon be postponed.
Not too long ago we had one strong woman in charge in Texas, and she was getting the job of organizing done with flying colors. It bothered me because that isn't the way our government is supposed to be structured. Our government depends on whole communities of strong people working together, not just one leader exercising executive power. That's what we are used to, but that's not the way the American Government is supposed to work.
I stifled my instinct on the matter in favor of hoping that additional Coordinators would step forward and the situation would resolve itself.
In reflecting upon all that subsequently happened, I realized how important it is to build teams of strong leaders in every State and make sure that -- as much as possible -- everyone is educated about the rights and responsibilities of their State of the Union, because every right comes with responsibilities attached.
One of the most galling things for me in addressing Vatican officials is that they always knew more about our history than any average American, and they would listen politely and nod their heads and agree that yes, what I was saying was true. And then, they'd point out that everything we were complaining about was all our own fault, our own failure to self-govern, our own failure to do our part.
Now, I might retort that it was their obligation to tell the American People what was going on, but they would only smile and quirk an eyebrow and observe that it's our country. How is it that we don't see what the situation is? Obviously, I saw what the situation was. I read the history. I knew the players. If I knew, how was it that all these other Americans remained clueless? Wasn't it more my responsibility to wake people up, than men employed by a foreign theocracy?
And what do you say to that?
We are all accountable. It is our responsibility to study and learn and know our own history, our own government, our own rights ---- and the responsibilities that go with those rights. Nobody else can do that for us.
No, the Vatican officials said, we will help you to the extent that we are required by contract to do, and we will obey the limitations of the Constitutions if you enforce them, but the rest is up to you.
What can I say to that, except --- fair enough?
The meltdown in Texas underlined the weakness of the executive model of government. It's convenient and easy to have only one person in charge, but then, everything hangs on that one person, and in their absence the whole structure has to be rebuilt. The wisdom of the American Government model built on committees and communities becomes readily apparent. It's not only our actual tradition, it's a better, stronger form of government overall.
So in reorganizing Texas there needs to be a fairly large number of Coordinators sharing the load and all pursuing the common goal of having a fully functional Assembly in place. As long as everyone pursues that goal in good faith, nothing can hold Texas back, but Texas.
I'm going to tell you all what the Vatican officials told me. It's your responsibility to build the strong, united, community-based government that our tradition demands. Nobody else can do it for you. If you want to self-govern, you have to do the work. And you have to build the organizational structure that supports self-governance, instead of clinging to the familiar executive power model.
After all, if you want an executive telling you what to do, you already have the choice of bowing to the Pope or the Queen, and they are both very competent executives, so far as that goes. Why bother choosing a home-grown tyrant?
The Vatican officials laughed at us a good deal. And they weren't entirely wrong. Many Americans recoil from the responsibility of self-governance. Many don't even have a clue of what that implies and the kind of group participation it requires.
Fortunately, in the years since those discussions, we have learned a few lessons and one of those lessons is that the American Way is inclusive and it has to be inclusive. It has to be big enough, broad enough, open-hearted enough to include everyone, because it accords everyone equal rights.
As Texas has come to grips with reorganizing Katherine Soulis has emerged as a strong leader, but she won't be the only strong leader and she won't be the only Coordinator. The burden of organizing The Texas Assembly and the range of opinions and communities to be equally considered is far beyond the ability of any one Texan to embody, and the single executive model is not what our tradition and our government structure demands.
So, yes, there will be more than one Coordinator in Texas and they won't all be cookie-cutter copies of one set of values, one age group, one ethnicity, or one anything else --- but taken all together, they will build one government and one community that embraces everything that Texas is and can be.
I've asked everyone to set aside their personal animosities and past squabbles, and make the decision to work together in good faith --- because it is a decision, just as love is a decision. Decide to accept each other, warts and all. Decide to focus on the work set before you.
Anna
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