This is something that I’ve spent time thinking about, because we at TEDxGWA want to have a positive influence in our community and I’m confident United States Senators would like to do the same.

But a primary difference is that our mission involves “creating an inclusive and equitable community of thought leaders” and I’m not sure, at the moment, they are concerned about such things.

A solid TEDx community is one that is apolitical and areligious while promoting ideas that are founded in science and fact – also seems like a good way to run a government. There are plenty of forward looking nerds who live in Washington DC and St. Louis – I’m proud to be among that number. The added complication, and value, is that our mission obliges us to build a diverse community, which is a deliberate task requiring time and energy.

With intentional effort we bring in people of different ages, socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds, which I believe builds a truly strong and beneficial community. Without direction and prescribed outcomes, we could easily have evolved into a large group of people that look and think just like me – that’s a scary thought. Conversations (and solutions) are better when you have multiple perspectives from people who enjoy being part of the process.

We spend nearly 1/5th of our GDP on healthcare and at the moment there are 13 white, middle aged men deciding it’s fate in the United States. At TEDxGatewayArch we travel to other cities to look at (and adopt) best practices, there is little doubt these US Senators are looking at other countries who spend much less money with much better outcomes. They have nobody who lives in poverty, is surviving with an existing condition or even a single woman involved in making these huge community decisions.

To any US Senator who happens to read this blog… the TEDxGatewayArch Crew is happy to help you create a more inclusive and equitable community of thought leaders, just send us a note.

P.S. There is a difference:

Government = The group of people with the authority to govern a country, state or municipality.

Politics = The debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power.

posted by STEVE SOMMERS | 325 TEDx pts.
June 30, 2017

What The US Senate Could Learn From TEDxGatewayArch