I don’t know what a great America looks like, but I do know what a gracious America does. It’s neighbors, family and friends working together to create a better world for ourselves, each other and children yet to be. It requires cooperation, mutual respect, restraint and compromise, civility to all, and above all a sense of community. Some think that government is the problem, but government exists to accomplish for all what we cannot do individually.
Public lands, roads, schools, police and fire departments, recreation centers, parks and utilities are all examples of public works that benefit the community as a whole. How we allocate resources is decided by politics. When people feel like their needs are being met the political system generally works.
I’m old enough to remember when Republicans, Democrats and Independents worked together for the benefit of all. Though often aligned with their party, members of Congress were not adverse to crossing party lines to accomplish the will of the people. That seems like a dream now that corporations can secretly donate vast sums of money to buy the allegiance of politicians for the benefit of a few.
The internet has allowed the free dissemination of information, but it has also created an environment free of accountability where divisiveness and false information erode civil discourse. We are not powerless to confront these challenges, but we must start by holding ourselves and our elected officials accountable for their actions and their words. Let’s Make America Gracious Again.
James P. Dougan
Cortez
