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    From the Roots Up: A Collection of Thoughts on Life, Faith, and Politics
    From the Roots Up: A Collection of Thoughts on Life, Faith, and Politics
    From the Roots Up: A Collection of Thoughts on Life, Faith, and Politics
    Ebook169 pages2 hours

    From the Roots Up: A Collection of Thoughts on Life, Faith, and Politics

    By Randy Camacho

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    About this ebook

    From the Roots Up seeks to inform, motivate, challenge, and inspire you to look past conventional wisdom regarding life, faith, and politics. This collection of columns and stories offers thought-provoking story vignettes about everyday people and the issues they face today. Arizona native Randy Camacho has his finger on the pulse of what makes his state tickits people. He was raised with a strong work ethic, and he knows what it means to pursue freedom and the American Dream.

    In this collection of past columns and personal stories from the Arizona Republic, Camacho has included columns that cover political topics and others that profile different personal experiences, including The Courage of Compromise, Patriotism Trumps Dogma, Stop and Gain Perspective, and Freedoms Promise Shines in Many Ways. A great number of todays challenges can be overcome by gaining a new perspective from the heartfelt experiences of others, as is so poignantly illustrated in this collection.

    From the Roots Up warms the soul, touches the human spirit, and provides insight into how Camacho views life, politics, and the world around us. More importantly, it demonstrates that we have more in common than we think.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisheriUniverse
    Release dateJan 14, 2013
    ISBN9781475963656
    From the Roots Up: A Collection of Thoughts on Life, Faith, and Politics
    Author

    Randy Camacho

    Randy Camacho, currently an educator, political analyst, and writer, has a BA in secondary education from Ottawa University and an MA in administration and supervision from the University of Phoenix. He is a former congressional candidate twice endorsed by the Arizona Republic. Randy and his wife, Inez, currently reside in Goodyear, Arizona, and are blessed with two remarkable daughters, Alexzandria and Giselle and two precious grandchildren, Nadia and Tavier.

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      Book preview

      From the Roots Up - Randy Camacho

      Copyright © 2013 by Randy Camacho.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      iUniverse books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

      iUniverse

      1663 Liberty Drive

      Bloomington, IN 47403

      www.iuniverse.com

      1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

      ISBN: 978-1-4759-6364-9 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4759-6366-3 (hc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4759-6365-6 (ebk)

      iUniverse rev. date: 01/03/2013

      CONTENTS

      Published Columns Date List

      Preface

      Acknowledgments

      Introduction

      CHAPTER 1- Family And Community

      Freedom’s Promise Shines In Many Ways

      A Tale Of Three Brothers

      The Courage Of Compromise

      Patriotism Trumps Dogma

      Death Came Like A Dove—Gently And Peacefully

      A Nation Of Profilers

      Miracle Diane

      CHAPTER 2- Treasured Memories

      Canals Evoke Memories Of A Simpler Time

      Family Memories Released In Aroma Of Soup

      CHAPTER 3- A Different Set Of Lenses

      Cope By Putting Life Events In Perspective

      Stop And Gain Perspective

      CHAPTER 4- The Wonder Of Faith

      Despite Tragedy, Faith Guides Retiring Deacon

      Wrestler’s Faith Prepares Coach For End

      CHAPTER 5- Learning Moments

      History Lesson Invokes Uneasy Feelings In Class Part I

      Let Moral Compass Not Others Guide Your Principles Part Ii

      One Person’s Generosity Makes Another Ponder Right Reaction

      Life’s Learning Moments Precious, Must Be Seized

      CHAPTER 6- Inspirational Stories

      Old Wrestler Revives Dream Of Competing

      Here’s To Celebrating Non-Traditional Views

      Tolleson’s New Vice Mayor Lives Life By The Moment

      From A Funeral-Home Manager: Life Is Precious

      CHAPTER 7- The Faces Of Immigration

      A Death In A Family, A Change In Perspective

      Happy Samuel’s Final Word Of The Day: Adios!

      Couple Caught In The Immigration Maze

      CHAPTER 8- Political Philosophy/Strategy

      We Have Plenty In Common, So Let’s Talk

      Getting Past Gatekeepers Isn’t Easy

      Civil Disobedience Is A Peaceful Way To Fight Injustice

      Dems Need To Shift Strategy

      ‘None Of The Above’ Should Be An Option On Ballot

      Next U.S. Senator Needs Passion, Positive Outlook

      ‘The Process’ Can Be Deadly

      CHAPTER 9- Politics In Arizona

      It Shouldn’t Be A Crime To Be A Good Samaritan

      Feel-Good Legislation Doesn’t Help—It Hurts

      Mixed Messages A Smoke Screen For Hypocrisy

      Immigration Reform: Arizona Can Lead The Way

      A Peaceful Backlash Against Hate

      Franks Isn’t Doing His Job

      A Magical Vision Solves Our Transit Problem

      CHAPTER 10- Arizona’s Education Conflict

      Schools Are On Right Path

      It’s War: Education In Arizona Under Attack

      We Must Fight Legislature’s Assault On Teachers

      Sober Reality Faces Public Education If Tax Fails

      Overrides Needed To Help Keep Schools Afloat

      CHAPTER 11- Informational Columns

      Annoyed By Military Recruiters? Teachers’ Tour Of Navy Bases Offers Lesson

      New Life Helps Abused End Cycle

      Blog Keeping Readers Up To Date On Politicians

      Several Tips Can Help Ward Off Dog Attacks

      CHAPTER 12- Sports

      Glendale Council Has Earned Right To Super Bowl Freebies

      Let’s Hope W. Valley, Cards Don’t Rest On Laurels

      CHAPTER 13- Challenges

      Teens Engaged In ‘Sexting’ Could Find Futures Derailed

      Cell Phone Text Messaging: Latest Classroom Disruption

      As Gang Activity Rises… Rise Again To Snuff It

      CHAPTER 14- The Slippery Slope

      It’s Time To Get Angry About Photo-Radar Abuse

      More To Red-Light Cameras Than Proponents Reveal

      Better Engineering, Fewer Red-Light Woes

      Will Pensions Come Crashing Down?

      Medical Marijuana Initiative May Open Pandora’s Box

      CHAPTER 15- Offbeat Stories

      Lent Perfect Time To Try Tolleson Fish Restaurant

      Monument Atop Hill Reminds That Past Shapes Us Today

      Jolly Old Elf Drove A Cop Car

      CHAPTER 16- What’s Race Got To Do With It?

      Little Johnny At The Principal’s Office

      Do You Ever Feel Sorry For White People?

      Bibliography

      To Mom, Dad, and my sister Diane

      PUBLISHED COLUMNS DATE LIST

      PREFACE

      When the spirit moved me to write this book, I felt somewhat embarrassed. I deliberately added to that side of self-consciousness by naming the file holding the words to this book as Memoirs. Now, the word memoir seems reserved for famous people or those of extreme influence. So why would a common everyday person such as me write a memoir? It’s simple, because it’s uncomfortable. And being in a state of ‘uncomfortable’ in mind and spirit is a great motivator. It forces you to take on your insecurities or be defeated by them.

      This state of uncomfortable compels you to tap into the senses that lay dormant even numb from the everyday grind of menial tasks. When I’m uncomfortable, I feel alive, truly alive.

      It’s important to understand that a memoir is simply an account of one’s personal life and experiences. Sometimes the experiences are unpleasant, but as author C.S. Lewis pointed out, all that occurs in our life, both good and bad, shape who we are. Fate is like a sculptor. It carves out character one fine line at a time.

      My life has been a series of hopes, trials, victories, and defeats. I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’m not sure what lies around the bend, but I do know that since childhood, I’ve been fascinated by the world around me. And I’m just as captivated today as I was growing up when Dad allowed me to speak my mind about various topics as we drove to and from church. He would listen intently then correct me if I was wrong. Like the time shortly after the 1972 presidential election when Republican Richard Nixon trounced the Democratic candidate, George McGovern. Assuming the Republican Party was the party of the rich, I said, Well now we know there are more rich people than poor. Dad shook his head incessantly. Oh No! he stated emphatically. There are many more poor people than there are rich! Confused, I asked, Then how is it that Nixon won? Dad looked away and thought for a moment, then looking straight ahead at the empty road, he said, Because many poor people don’t vote! That was a difficult notion for a child like me to understand. Wouldn’t poor people have more reason to vote than the rich? I wondered.

      Shortly after my congressional run in 2004, I received a call from Joel Nilsson, an opinion writer for the Arizona Republic. I had gotten to know Joel while he was a member of the newspaper’s editorial board, the group that, in part, endorses political candidates running for office. In both my 2002 and 2004 campaigns, I was fortunate to receive its endorsement for the primary and general elections.

      I was pleasantly surprised when I received Joel’s phone call. He asked, Hey Randy, our paper is looking to introduce a community paper that will go along with the regular paper. We want to offer what many community papers are offering across the state, a personal touch. Would you be interested in becoming a community columnist to offer your thoughts on the issues of the day? Excited, I agreed. He promised a stipend for each column, but I never requested compensation. The way I saw it, I thought the Arizona Republic was doing me a favor by giving me a platform to express my thoughts. Since 2005, I’ve written columns on various topics, ranging from the political to touching stories of everyday life; each has inspired me to share them with you.

      This book is a collection of vignettes of the diverse stories and thoughts I have written over the years. The columns are presented as they appeared in the Arizona Republic with the exception of a few edits that were necessary to maintain their spirit.

      I chose these particular columns because they rendered the most response from the public and because, I believe, they provide the best insight of how I view life, politics and the world around us. There is also a compilation of thoughts and personal stories published only in this book.

      I invite you to visit www.randycamacho.com for further information. Thank you and enjoy!

      Best,

      Randy

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      Robin Everding Brown (Finance Director during my congressional run): Thanks for your loyalty and for fighting the fight. You made call time (fundraising) a fun experience.

      Lynn Caddell (Long-time friend): I’m blessed to have you as a friend. Thanks for the great times, especially our weekly dinners on Thursday nights. I hope one day you decide to move back to the desert. I miss

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