Abbie Hoffman Was Right

Let's Focus On Government "By The People" Part Of Things

http://washingtonparkprofile.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=574&Itemid=107

By Paul Kashmann
[July 2009]

"We are here to make a better world.

"No amount of rationalization or blaming can preempt the moment of
choice each of us brings to our situation here on this planet. The
lesson of the '60s is that people who cared enough to do right could
change history."We didn't end racism, but we ended legal segregation.
We ended the idea that you could send half-a-million soldiers around
the world to fight a war that people do not support. We ended the
idea that women are second-class citizens.

"We made the environment an issue that couldn't be avoided. The big
battles that we won cannot be reversed. We were young,
self-righteous, reckless, hypocritical, brave, silly, headstrong and
scared half to death.

"And we were right." --Abbie Hoffman
--

Well, we're still working on that half-a-million soldiers thing, but
we'll deal with that some time when we rail on about the pros and
cons of a volunteer army. Past that, I think Abbie didn't miss the
mark by much.

The former founder of the Youth International Party (Yippies) was
made famous as a member of the Chicago Seven, a group of radical
"lefties" who stood trial for alleged crimes committed during the
demonstrations held in the Windy City during the 1968 Democratic
National Convention. His urging: "Don't trust anyone over 30," was a
rallying cry for many of his contemporaries.

I saw Abbie in person only once, some 27 years ago, at University of
Denver. He was then about 45 years of age. He came out on stage in a
rumpled gray suit, white shirt, no tie. He looked a bit under the
weather, and launched into his assessment of the politics of the time
by growling, "I know what I said in the '60s, and I don't trust
anyone under 40." He followed with a scathing diatribe condemning the
students present ­ and their peers ­ for what he saw as a failure to
step up and take their place in the political give and take of the
times. A failure to honor that "moment of choice each of us brings to
our situation here on this planet."

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Mr. Hoffman ­ regardless
of what you might think of his more outlandish political theories ­
was spot-on in his assessment that inherent in the gift of life on
Planet Earth is a responsibility of each individual to participate
actively in the goings-on of their community.

And, in return, in any town, city, county, country or kingdom that
claims a representative form of government, it is incumbent upon the
leadership to open the doors wide to the participation of those they
have been elected to represent. The participation of the citizenry
should not be allowed begrudgingly, but welcomed wholeheartedly.

I was asked recently my assessment of how John Hickenlooper is doing
as Mayor of Denver. It's my view that if you look at how the city is
functioning as a whole, I'm thinking I would honor Hizzoner with an
A-/B+. He's doing a good job in difficult times. If, however, you
evaluate how residents feel about this administration's attitude
toward the value of citizen involvement, I'm thinking it could be
bottom-feeding around a C-/D.

My evidence is largely anecdotal, to be sure, based on comments of
individuals in the neighborhood movements who express the feeling
that the current administration seems to be very confident in the
team of professionals it has assembled. While appreciating the
comments of concerned individuals who write in, the pervasive feeling
communicated to the public is, "We've got things under control."

I do believe that Mayor Hick has a great many things about as under
control as can be expected in such a time of fiscal uncertainty, but
I believe the realm of citizen empowerment has slipped through his
fingers. I don't know that it's a matter of good vs. evil, I just
think our Mayor's management style is focused in other directions.

The Office of Community Planning and Development is currently in the
midst of an ongoing flurry of public forums designed to inform
residents of the gargantuan rewrite of Denver's Zoning Code. As The
Profile went to press, 3,122 people had attended the first two rounds
of meetings, and another 9,031 had visited www.newcodedenver.org to
research info on their own.

While the second series of meetings is presenting important details
about the code and related zoning maps, the first round was hailed by
many as time poorly spent, filled with gross generalities about the
theories being used in the rewrite, and no tangible substance to
discuss, with insufficient time for questions on details presented.

The final series of get-togethers to be held in August will return to
each City Council district with the next iteration of the Zoning Code
draft that will, ostensibly, incorporate changes based on the
feedback being collected from the current dialogue.

We've received a few complaints recently from residents unhappy with
the relationship of Denver's Dept. of Parks and Recreation and those
interested in its activities. Recent meetings of the Parks & Rec.
Advisory Board were marred by lack of time for public comment, and in
one case, a last minute shifting of location that left citizens
wanting to attend wondering "which way they went."

We're told by Parks spokesperson Jill McGranahan that, "Because of
concerns raised by (former City Councilwoman) Donahue and other
members of the public, a public comment session has been added to the
(Advisory Board) monthly meeting. Unfortunately, the change in venue
for the June meeting was very last-minute, and human error caused the
meeting to not be posted in time. We work very hard to keep our
department transparent and accessible."

Regarding resident concerns that there is a growing rift between
Parks & Rec. and those everyday Joes and Janes who would oversee its
activities, McGranahan reiterated, "It (changing the location of the
June meeting) was an honest mistake. No evil intent behind it. Just
human error."

While our friends on the conservative side of the aisle had good fun
making light of President Obama's early background as a community
organizer, we hope Mr. Hickenlooper thinks more highly of such
effort. There's got to be a slew of outstanding ideas lurking out
there in a population nearing 600,000. We urge him to sharpen his
focus and redouble his efforts to pull the best from the population
at large in the same way he has attempted to pull the best from the
professional ranks.

There's still time for him to ace that class, too.

.