Patron: Do you serve crabs here?
Waiter: We serve anyone. Sit down.
Life
Happy Independence Day
July 4, 1776 marked more than the transformation from colony to a new nation. A lot more. It marked the recognition of that long-ignored truth: A nation is its people – all its people. It is far greater than its king, its government, or those posturing themselves as its rulers. And to stamp this truth into reality, the newly declared nation of the United States established itself as a democracy – designed on that ancient Athenian and then-current Enlightenment belief of government by consent of the governed. No, not every person held a voice in that governance, but through our history, so many United States people keep on trying to make that voice more inclusive – and louder. And that is a spirit that truly sets my heart celebrating.
The marvelously insightful Mark Twain said, “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” So to mark this day of gratitude and celebration, allow me to share with you a few of the times that I have felt particularly patriotic and proud to call myself an American:
– 2020 – When I learned that my United States for more than the past two decades had been providing malaria medicines to over 50 million people all over the globe, most of whom were not U.S. citizens. Hey, that’s my nation.
– 1999 – In UlaanBaatar, Mongolia when I met Dave, a sergeant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who was building the second of two hospitals in that country. The U.S. Army Corps, Dave explained, maintains a constant mission to create roads, schools, emergency housing, medical facilities, along with providing agricultural aid and disaster cleanup. They do all this abroad for two reasons: first, it fosters good will, displaying what our nation really stands for, and secondly, they don’t want to compete with U.S. private industry in America.
– 2015 – In a visit to Philadelphia, when I learned that the Continental Congress, upon reading Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, vetoed the change of Alexander Hamilton. The enlightened Jefferson had penned that our inalienable rights included “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Hamilton, ever the cash-counting banker, had wanted to change it to “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Property.” Our nation’s founders envisioned goals beyond the accumulation of wealth.
– 1964 – When I read in the paper that the amazingly able legislator and leader Lyndon B. Johnson had pushed through the passage of the Civil Rights Act, flinging wide the doors of the American Dream and justice to so many who had been denied rights before.
– Every June – when I attend school graduation ceremonies and realize that my nation – the United States of America – from its very outset so ardently realized the value of an educated citizenry that they mandated formal education as a right for all, not a privilege.
Do you, my friend, have any special moments of patriotic pride that you recall? If so, I’d love to hear and share them.
Happy Independence Day,
– Bart Jackson
Finally The Good News – And the Care Floods On
Granted, the United States government has currently ceased to be a compassionate, care-giving entity. But do not for one second think that in any way reflects the thoughts or deeds of the American people. U.S. citizens still maintain their nation’s 134,000 individual charities. (Yup, you read that right.) And though one large spigot has turned off, other mega-providers are running full blast. This past year, the Catholic Relief Services in the U.S. alone raised and spent $170 billion to fight poverty and end suffering worldwide. That’s more than the $152 billion Apple garnered – and three times the GDP of Tanzania. The 5.4 million donors to the United Way generously contributed $5.2 billion to fund its 1,100 charitable organizations, which its staff and 1.4 million volunteers employed to bring aid to 40 nations. That’s only two avenues through which Americans display their warm-hearted benevolence.
We are a prosperous nation whose people bountifully continue to share that prosperity.
My wife Lorraine suggests that it may be time for those U.S. residents to remind their legislators on both sides of the aisle that they stand among those millions of voters who want America’s generosity to be actively sustained. That is, of course, your choice. But as a final note, I found it interesting that the late Pope Francis, as most all recent pontiffs, chose to forgo his $405,600 annual salary and donate it to worthy causes.
Memorial Day
It is right and deserving that we pause to remember those whose ultimate sacrifice has made possible the rich, full lives we currently enjoy. But this May 26th, I had my sense of grateful debt markedly expanded. Like many millions of fellow Americans, Lorraine and I lined our local main street to view our town’s Memorial Day parade.
‘Twas a pageant of hope. Right after the war veterans, the scout troops came marching – Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts. Here were young people taught to be self-reliant, but not self-absorbed; encouraged to do a good deed daily; and to discover the value of being helpful, friendly, trustworthy, honest, and much more. Interspersed amongst these came their parents: volunteers in the rescue squad, the public library, and local food pantries. And, of course, those horn-honking, polished red trucks. Our small (3,000 folks) town of Cranbury boasts at least half a dozen fire and rescue vehicles maintained by volunteers. Yes, this may seem a bit overly rosy and I’ve no intention of confering halos of sainthood on every parade participant. But I could not be blind to the caring, compassionate spirit displayed in the groups passing before me. Like valiant soldiers remembered, here also were individuals whose efforts are making possible that rich, full life I currently enjoy. My thanks to all of you marching along in that spirit. You carry a power far greater than any self-serving cavalcade of military hardware can ever possess.
Dale Caldwell – Takes Helm of Centenary University
His hand on my shoulder, Dale stated enthusiastically, “We can change the world from here.” Every once in a rare while the exact right leader finds a perfect fit with the exact right team. And I was fortunate to witness this on October 21st when the idealistic, energetically inventive Dr. Dale Caldwell donned the President’s robes and was invested with the leadership of the refreshingly progressive faculty and students of the 156-year-old Centenary University based in Hackettstown, New Jersey.
Currently, Dale serves as founding head of the Dale Caldwell Foundation, and the Entrepreneur Zones movement which battles poverty in distressed communities by developing new businesses. Previously, Dale served as head of Farleigh Dickinson University’s Rothman Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, working to promote family businesses and the Prometheus Social Enterprise Awards. For President Caldwell, Centenary offers an ideal platform. An impressive number of the 1,200 undergraduate students take active part in ENACTUS, an national organization that guides collegiates into entrepreneurial enterprises as a catalyst for progress. Prior to the inaugural ceremony, Dale and several undergraduates celebrated his donating supplies to a local food pantry and books to a nearby correctional facility.
In his address, Dr. Caldwell noted that “Within our institutions of higher education we possess ample and necessary brainpower and energy to solve all the problems facing our society.” It seems only fitting that the Centenary mascot is the cyclone. Keep your eyes on this whirlwind center of innovative learning… where “changing the world” becomes a practical mission.
