From time to time, it is helpful to reflect on the vision of John Gardner in shaping the formation of Common Cause. I share the following quote from John Gardner's book, "Morale," published in 1978, found on page 23, titled "Rebuilding":
Let me be as explicit as possible concerning my view of the human capacity for regeneration of values. Imagine that a thriving, lawful community were stricken, in the course of a single night, with an amnesia that erased every memory of law, ethics, tradition, and customs governing standards of conduct. There would follow, of course, days and nights of bloodshed and looting, murder and rape. The physically strong would take what they wanted. People would fight like animals over dwindling food supplies. Brutal crimes would be committed out of lust, greed, cruelty, and rage.
But the whole history of the race tells us that in a matter of days some members of the stricken community would begin fumbling for means of ending the terror. They would grope toward some consensus as to which acts were the most intolerable. They would seek to define certain limits that should circumscribe the behavior of all. And thus, slowly, painfully, they would set out on the long road back to the rule of law and a framework of values."
Interesting words for the Common Cause community to reflect upon as we seek to
Get It Straight In 2008. Thanks for all that each of you are doing to help Common Cause.
On this day, 36 years ago, John Gardner issued an announcement from his office at the Urban Coalition Action Council, located one block from where I write today. In it, Mr. Gardner proclaimed that he was launching a new membership for Common Cause, "a nationwide, independent, non-partisan organization for those Americans who want to help in the rebuilding of the nation." Indeed, on August 18th 1970, this was a nation in great need of rebuilding and because of Mr. Gardner's tremendous effort and dedication, Common Cause, the United States' first "Citizens' Lobby" continues to do just that today.
The press release that Mr. Gardner issued outlined some of the reasons for Common Cause's creation as well as some objectives he had for its purpose. By way of reasons, he wrote that although the citizens of 1970's America recognized that their nation's priorities needed changing, "they (didn't) know how to go about it." Common Cause, therefore was designed, "to assist you speak and act in [sic] behalf of the legislation designed to solve the nation's problem."
Mr. Gardner, in effect, sought to hold public officials accountable for their decisions, "we want weak public officials to know that they will be subject to criticism. We want strong and concerned representatives to know that their efforts are appreciated." He, like millions of Americans at the time, had grown very fearful that, "most parts of the system (had) grown so rigid that they cannot respond to impending disaster." It is in this last phrase that we see what a long fight Mr. Gardner was preparing his organization for, as the same complaint still echoes through the public today.
Similar coincidences should be noted of Mr. Gardner's announcement. Primarily the fact that at the heart of Common Cause's inception was a response to the outcry generated over the seemingly pointless continuance of hostilities in Vietnam. "We believe," he writes, "there is great urgency in ending the Vietnam War on a scheduled timetable. We believe there must be a major reordering of national priorities. We believe the problems of poverty and race must be among our first concerns."
It begs the question; if John Gardner were here to evaluate his proud organization 30 years after its creation, would he remark on how different the world had become or how eerily similar?
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