GrowUp.org

When we finally understand that life is not fair, that there is no free lunch, and (more importantly) that no government can change that, we can start to grow up and make the most of what choices we do have in life.  GrowUp.org's mission is to provide a counterweight to the childish, and frequently hysterical, rhetoric dominating our politics today from those who fail to grasp this.  

It is time we had discussions that face problems realistically as grown ups, rather than ignoring them when difficult and just moving on. 
As in everything, perspective on both history and the tradeoffs involved in any choice are the keys.

Our goal is to raise awareness of the issues and true public policy choices we all face without posturing or politicking.  Reasonable people can (and will) disagree, but we should at least be clear on what we are really disagreeing about.  Clarity and honesty must always take precedence to agreement among grown ups.  

So this site is dedicated to those generally thoughtful people who haven't really thought through the issues and policy choices that impact us all (i.e. the vast majority of normal people); Mostly out of distaste for politics, rather than disinterest in the future.

While it's always hard to make tough choices, grown ups are willing to face them directly and make the most of any situation.  And it's not a question of having "values" or not, but to whose values we will ascribe.  By definition, you are "legislating morality" when you make any law or rule at all!  

Another key aspect to growing up is learning to deal with our emotions in a constructive way.  Rather than letting them overtake our reason (and overreacting), grown ups try to take a breath and think before we speak.  Even if we don't always succeed.

Generally speaking, grown ups realize some basic things about life that impact all we do (even if we don't like them).  These same constraints apply in the political realm as well.  We understand that (and you should have heard all of these from your parents, assuming they were grown ups):

• Life isn't fair (so don't expect it to be)
• There is no free lunch (so don't expect one)
• Talk is cheap (so put your money where your mouth is)
• You get out of it what you put into it (so put into it)
• The end doesn't justify the means (so always do what's right)
• Two wrongs don't make a right (so don't compound your mistakes)
• No one (ourselves certainly included) is perfect (so proceed with humility and forgiveness)

"We are a nation that has a government, not the other way around."

"Since problems are the only excuse for government, solving them is out of the question."

The bottom line, which seems lost on many, is that true freedom of action (something we all want) requires real responsibility of results (something we often try to avoid).  You cannot, by definition, have the former if you're not prepared to accept the latter. 

But, sadly, our government is no longer "Uncle Sam" extolling pride in ourselves and our country, but "Grandma Nan" promising and (frequently) doling out (someone else's) goodies to the grandkids.  Those "tough," "independent" rebels who decry some moral/fascistic oppression on their actions, but then expect government solutions to their problems, really need to grow up.

But if that's what you want, then by all means move on and accept your helpless place among the children - just understand that you're not tough, independent, or a grown up. 

So if you are a grown up (or willing to consider becoming one), then please explore the site to see what we generally stand for (in Principles), straightforward analysis of the broad issues that separate us (in Issues) and major choices our government must make on our behalf (in Policies), and who/what we specifically support (in Projects). 

To learn more about GrowUp.org, well that's in About, but you already figured that out.  And to get some more background on our background (see Books and Thoughts).