Noble Work

When I was a kid, my dad was very involved in the workings of our small township. Although he never ran for any elected position, he was often asked to work on various Vernon Township committees.  He and my mom seldom missed a town meeting and Dad was never shy about discussing things that needed to be done. He also felt a strong obligation to be part of the election process by understanding issues and supporting candidates. My Dad grew up during a time when the United States made some very important progress toward creating a more equitable society. When my grandfather Dederick – who was born in Norway – had trouble on the farm during the Depression with his wife and 10 children, the oldest son, my Dad, became a migrant potato picker to help delay the inevitable.  And when President Roosevelt created the CCC camps, my father went to work in the Superior National Forest so he could send money back to help his family. He was proud of his time in the Civilian Conservation Corp and grateful to those who helped create it. He was also a strong advocate for worker rights and was grateful again when federal law established the 8 hour/day - 40 hour/week for workers. Don’t misunderstand. My father never worked an 8 hour day in his life, especially when he purchased the farm I was raised on. He was just happy that he and the guys he worked with had been given the right to form a labor union so they would be safe and fairly paid. (He was a strong supporter of the National Farmers Organization for the same reason.) My Dad’s experience told him that the American idea of “we the people” could help make things better for average citizens. That’s why he was so dedicated to selecting the best people for elected positions. He felt there was something noble and patriotic about seeking public office to improve our society. If Pa were alive today, he would be astonished.

With events of the last few days, I once again find it necessary to reassure my own children and many other young people I know that the struggle to make our society just and equal requires a deep commitment to the ideals of our democracy and a willingness to view the work of those in public service as noble and honorable. Over the past 30 years or so, there has been a propaganda campaign to paint all government and all public employees as corrupt and/or inefficient. (The military is the exception.) We were told that if we could just replace all those lazy public employees with private sector businesses all would be well. We even watched as our military tried to “job out” fighting a war to private contractors. Remember Blackwater Security? What has been clear from this assault on public service is the realization that private business with its obsessive focus on increasing profits cannot provide the most essential services our democracy requires. Increasing profits will not make us better or safer or more educated. “It measures neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning. It measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worth living.”  How else do you explain a drug tycoon raising the price of a long used prescription medicine by 700% or a gun company insisting that more guns will make us safer?  We live in a confusing time, but we cannot lose hope.

America has been in spots like this before. Whenever our country has been asked to live up to its ideals, we have depended on the common sense and hard work of those individuals who help us see a better society. Often those individuals included public servants who used their positions to lead us to a better place. WE NEED TO BECOME THOSE LEADERS NOW! We need to advocate for an America that lives up to its ideals and provides a place where all of us can live in peace and security. We need to acknowledge that our government is NOT the enemy and applaud those who would choose to run for office or take public service jobs. We should insist that those individuals recognize the essential role our government plays in meeting America’s ideals. Too often we see politicians who view government service as merely a way to promote themselves. We can do better. We can BE better. Let us make a commitment – do you hear me Maggie – a commitment to do the hard work to make our country better. I know it will be frustrating. I know there will be set backs. I also know it is our only hope. I think Robert Kennedy said it best, “Each time a man (woman) stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he (she) sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” Do not let those who promote isolation and division win the day. Let’s be part of the movement to be better.