Accountable Citizens Updates

In Search Of A Camera

The inspiration for this column came about after reading the latest contribution from guest author T.O. Illustratio. We'll feature that literary insight later this week. What I'm writing about today isn't a preview of that guest article. This is merely a collection of thoughts that entered my mind, not all of which made it to this page.

Recently in my home state, in a mid-sized city, a news story made the rounds of the local segments. For reasons not fully explained, a large group had gathered in a public area. Arguments ensued, followed by some more heated activity and then escalating to the point where law enforcement personnel were requested to help quell the violence.

The officers handled it quickly with only limited resistance. It was pretty much resolved when a couple guys decided to interject themselves into the situation. The officers told them nine times-this was documented on cameras-nine times to back off. After ignoring the directives all nine times, one of the agitators shoved an officer. To his credit, this officer simply guided the offender's hand out of the way. Again, all of this is being recorded.

That should have been the end of it. Except if it had been so, this column would not be written as there would be nothing of which to write.

But the next day, one of the agitators found a willing news camera to broadcast that his "rights were violated" and that the officers were not professional and made "tactical errors." Those last two words are most relevant because for the past several months two semi-famous attorneys in our area used the same two words over and over in another case. These two people never met a camera they didn't welcome and always seem to show up when a potential payday from a lawsuit against police officers is discussed.

This pair of opportunists have so far been quiet on the most recent episode of gaming the legal system to win some easy cash. Perhaps it was the video evidence that scared them off?

Our state is also famous for a court decision that incarcerated the parents of a shooter because they didn't do enough to stop their son. Long-range implications aside, if this is to be the new norm, shouldn't it also be applied to the parents of offspring who become career criminals that terrorize neighborhoods and then cry foul when police stop them?

Fair is fair, right? Of course this would hurt the settlement payoffs to certain attorneys who love to spread a good story, even if the facts don't back them up.

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When Common Sense Is Not Common Our Nation's Potential Is Diminished

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The Relationship of Cause and Effect Determines Every World Event

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Thomas Sowell Quotes Invite Derisive Howls When They Expose The Truth

Does anyone dare debate the accuracy of these Thomas Sowell quotes? Elitists and history revisionists don't like facing the glare of honest discussion..

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Five Truths for Personal Growth

Sometimes we are inundated with information overload that conflicts and confuses. Use these five truths for personal growth to clear the way!

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The Power Of Your Words Has A Lasting Impact. Make It Inspirational!

The question hit me like a slap in the face. "You have no idea of the power of your words do you?" A powerful life lesson changed me in such a positive way.

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Have You Heard Of Bill Porter?

Next in our series on people you might not know about who are examples of taking ownership in their personal accountability is Bill Porter. It's likely this is a name completely unfamiliar to most people. He wasn't a national celebrity, but his life story was described in a book written by Shelly Brady titled, "Ten Things I Learned From Bill Porter." The story even became an inspirational movie. We'll give you the short version in this column.

To get to work every morning, Bill Porter had to wake up almost two hours before he had to leave his home. It took him that long to dress and eat breakfast because he had cerebral palsy.

After beginning his work life doing small odd jobs, his family situation changed and he needed more income. The employment agency in his state set him up with several potential employers, but his physical limitations didn't allow him to perform those required duties.

He kept coming back until the employment agency finally told him he was "unemployable" and should stay home and collect disability pay for life.

In our world today, this would be a gift for so many people who would love to let the government "take care of them." But Bill was undeterred in his drive to take ownership of his own future and that of his family.

He finally convinced a national direct sales company to give him a shot. But they didn't make it easy for him. They gave him the worst territory in a crime-ridden section of his city.

As you can imagine from the subject of this column, Bill took on all challenges and was able to make a solid living selling his products in an area no one else wanted to attempt to try.

As his success grew, his territory got bigger and his business expanded. He eventually developed over 500 regular customers, several dozen of whom were people who had previously told him to just go home because he wouldn't be able to support himself.

Some people see obstacles and go home. Some others see opportunities and go forward. Everyone has hard times, some harder than others. The difference is, do they take ownership of their own lives, responsibilities, and destiny?

Or do they give it away because it was just too hard?

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The Blame Game

A couple days ago I received a message from someone in the shipping department at a company I had ordered from about a week before this call. It was odd that the shipment hadn't arrived. This representative apologized right away and without any justifying embellishment said "we messed up."

He continued by stating that the shipment was on the way and wondered if there was anything else he could do to help me regain trust in their company. I would have liked to have received my order on time. But this straightforward example of accountability was more than enough for me.

This example however, isn't the norm. What we see more often is a weak apology followed by an assignment of blame. "I'm sorry your shipment was late. It wasn't my fault. Those guys on the loading dock are just lazy."

In his book "Flipping The Switch" John Miller writes, " Blame never solves any problem because we can't play the blame game and take ownership at the same time. And without ownership, nothing gets done, nothing is fixed, and nothing improves."

Taking ownership is the linchpin to accountability. That means taking ownership is a vital topic on this website about accountability. If you missed our page about Thomas Sowell, please check out the link just below.

Thomas Sowell

Next week we'll be posting a page of quotes from this esteemed economist and author. His life was an example of taking ownership and rejecting the easy blame game.

Every citizen of America is given the opportunity to succeed. No one gets a guarantee and some have an easier road. Rejecting the blame game, taking ownership in your life and doing the work is the way of accountable citizens.

That dreaded word, "work" is too often what diverts attention away from ownership and on to victim mentality. "It's not my fault. The government should pay me."

We are where we are at this point in history because we allowed blame to overshadow ownership. But our nation was forged on that principle of taking personal ownership of our thoughts and actions. We can go back to that. We've done it before.

One person at a time.

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Thomas Sowell Is A Voice Of Personal and National Accountability

In a world filled with revisionist history designed to blame everyone else, Thomas Sowell provides a roadmap to truth and accountability.

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Step By Step Goal Setting That Works For Any Personality Type

Even if you don't like lists, this step by step goal setting process will power your success.

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In Search Of A Reset Button

For years I found myself looking at where I was in life and wishing I could have a "do-over." I even imagined a big reset button that would allow me to travel back in time, armed with 20/20 hindsight.

January was a particularly harsh month. There was the incessant drum beat of New Year's resolutions. And the corresponding big idea of just suddenly deciding to do things differently than I had for so many previous years. So many previous decades.

"Why was all this stress and turmoil happening to me? When would it end?" Alas, there would be no reset button. There would be no time travel to try again. Not even any relief in sight as the upcoming future segued into the stifling present, until it too yielded position and allowed the repetitive past to appear. Also appearing was that desire for the reset button.

But along the way of life something happened. Even documenting it here for you, I can't pinpoint the exact date, not even the season of epiphany when the light went on in my brain. It was long overdue.

A couple days ago in this spot you read our column about a great little book that centered around asking better questions. If you missed it, click on the link just below.

How To Ask Better Questions

I hadn't read that book yet when my own enlightenment burst upon me and opened up a clear view of a better way. When I was finally able to read it, the words jumped out at me. I hadn't realized it, but I was already asking better questions.

No longer did I burden my psyche with questions about why I was facing difficulty and wishing it would end. This surprising, still unexpected change had me asking what I could do right now to overcome challenges.

Save yourself some time and read "QBQ! The Question Behind The Question." It will be your reset button. It won't take you back in time, but it will make your future much brighter and more fun!

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The Difference Between Accountability And Responsibility Is Empowering

Understanding the difference between accountability and responsibility is a catalyst to promoting positive change.

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How To Ask Better Questions Is A Life-Enhancing Skill

Small adjustments can provide huge benefits. Learning how to ask better questions will make a big difference in your life and those you meet.

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You Just Have To Do It!

As our daughters grew up, all three heard the same response when they didn't want to do something we told them to do. "This is your lucky day! You don't have to want to do it. You just have to do it." Remarkably, we've gotten much wiser now that they have their own teenage sons and daughters. Our response that used to be loathed is now embraced.

There are certain constants in life, certain indisputable facts that apply to all of us. One of those facts is that doing the right thing is usually hard. Another is that because it's hard, doing the right thing will often be something we don't want to do. "This is your lucky day! You don't have to want to do it, you just have to do it."

We knew that building a website would be hard. Not because we started as amateur website owners. We did start that way, but that wasn't the hard part. We knew we could learn the mechanics of building it.

No, the hard part was sticking to those three core values found on our home page. It would be easier to just let the wonders of AI compose our pages.

But we promised ourselves and our readers that we would write from our own thoughts and experiences and share the advice of experts in personal accountability. We'll be featuring another one of those experts later this week.

For everyone reading this page and the one writing it, it's easier to follow the crowd even if that means ignoring injustice and dishonesty. If it doesn't hurt us, why get involved?

It's easier to stay away from hot-button topics such as the value of human life. Staying away will shield us from taunts and accusations.

Responsible citizens are not all that different from irresponsible people in one area. They don't always want to do the right thing because it takes more work. Accountable citizens of America don't always want to take on hot-button topics.

They recognize that they don't have to want to do it. They just have to do it.

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Goal Setting Activities for Students To Develop New Leaders

These goal setting activities for students are proven steps to develop confidence, team building, and leadership skills.

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