“Thank-you.” On Friday, find a veteran and pass it along. Veterans have served in our military forces and defended our rights to live the way we do. Whether the veteran you thank is in your family, lives next door to you, or is someone you have never seen or met, each has sacrificed a part of him or herself for the freedoms we all enjoy.
Eddystone’s VFW and American Legion Posts continue to serve our community, while also working for the betterment of its members. We often see these men (and women) at our Memorial Day celebration, but they are also active and around throughout the rest of the year. When Santa comes to town every year, our veterans play a vital role in that day’s events, serving as ‘Santa’s elves’ and handing presents out to boys and girls. They are also active on the county and state level, advocating for the needs of veterans and participating in events to highlight the need for greater support and care for our vets.
Veterans fought for our democratic way of life. More important than simply saying thank-you today, let’s think about how we embrace that democratic way. Our forefathers envisioned our country by compromising between the best ideas from differing factions. Colonists from Virginia thought differently from colonists from Massachusetts because the needs of their community varied and their roots were different. Yet, George Washington (Virginia) and John Adams (Massachusetts) were our first President and Vice President, even though the two had almost exactly opposite ways of thinking. Although they differed on substantial issues, both put their personal feelings aside for the common good of our country. Out of the compromising of our forefathers developed the greatest form of government history has seen.
Over the last two years, interest in our local government has soared to new levels. Two years ago, there were meetings when no one sat in the audience. Those days appear to be gone. There are great ideas and some willing volunteers who could contribute to Eddystone’s future growth. How our leaders embrace those ideas and channel that energy will determine how productively our community moves forward. Isolating people and ignoring them does not embrace our forefather’s envisionment, it does not advance the betterment of our community, and it certainly does not honor the sacrifices our veterans made fighting for democracy.
Our veterans fought for the ideals established by our forefathers. Our forefathers fought against the monarchial thinking of one ruler and established a government where one person, or one group for that matter, had limited power. They established a government where people had some voice, and leaders had the responsibility to work in the best interest of all.
Thank-you to all of the soldiers who fought (and continue to fight) to protect our democratic way