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Townhall...
Citizens Not
Politicians Make America Great
By Terry Paulson
6/20/2011
What makes America great? It’s not our politicians; it’s our people. A
government can only be as good as the people it governs. America has
always been blessed by people who have balanced a commitment to
personal responsibility with a shared commitment to the commons.
It’s all too tempting to focus on the devastation of the recent series
of tornadoes that ripped apart cities from Joplin, Missouri to New
England. But the true story is not the devastation of the tornadoes
themselves; it’s the story after story of fellow citizens and neighbors
who immediately came to help and have continued to respond with prayer,
encouragement, support and contributions.
Even in a crowded metropolitan area like Los Angeles, if the local news
covers a story about a family in need, the response is heart-warming,
overwhelming, and immediate. In America, you are not alone. Americans
care, and they put that caring into action.
The depression of our age has been termed “Learned Helplessness”—the
belief that nothing we do can make any difference in what happens to
us. In the past, newspapers would primarily focus on local problems and
people responding. We were a powerful people because we could see
evidence daily of our ability to make a difference.
Now, any disaster in the world is brought to us in two minutes, and we
watch transfixed, sure that nothing that we can do from our living room
will make any real difference. We send funds, but too many remain
observers of things we can’t control. Instead of getting involved
locally, it’s too easy to “awfulize” about disasters that we believe
only “government” is big enough to fix.
In reading my father’s memoirs, the reality of the Great Depression was
brought to life. He wrote of two other distressed families living in
the family homestead. He talked of being hired out to a neighboring
farm for room and board and $4/month that was used to help pay his
dad’s mortgage. The only Christmas my father remembered was the one his
dad told the kids, “There will be no presents this Christmas. A poor
family that’s come to town needs the money more.”
It’s the same today. After providing a brief keynote for the Greater
Conejo Valley Community Foundation’s Ninth Annual Spirit of Community
Awards that honored teachers, policemen, sheriffs, firemen, military
service men and women, volunteers and area non-profits, all in
attendance were reminded of the impact community service can have on
those who are served and those who serve. The applause and the shared
tears spoke volumes about the importance of community.
As columnists, it’s far too easy to focus exclusively on the big
national problems and to criticize politicians, but we should never
forget to balance such efforts with attempts to honor the heroes who
make us better and challenge us to do our part. So today, let me join
others in honoring Dr. Frank Dawson who has helped thousands of
patients since the inception of the Conejo Free Clinic in 1976, the
Hospice of the Conejo who has consistently helped people face death and
helped the living get beyond their grief to live again, and teachers of
the year Cynthia Gyure and Catherine Prater who, with other teachers,
work tirelessly to bring education to life in the hearts and minds of
their students. They are all inspiring!
These challenging times may be tough on many Americans, but I am
optimistic that Americans will continue to take care of those in need.
For Americans believe in collaborative community problem solving. In
school, that may be called cheating, but, in America, it’s called
neighbor helping neighbor.
Instead of “awfulizing” this week, get involved helping in your
community. Ronald Reagan said it best in one his oval office addresses:
“I’m not taking your time this evening to ask you to trust me. Instead,
I ask you to trust yourself. That is what America is all about… It’s
the power of millions of people like you who will determine what will
make America great again.”
May it always be so.
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