I have always been fascinated by John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural address when he stated, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”
Most historians agree this was President Kennedy’s call for Americans to do what is right for the greater good of country and community. His statement is compelling because it strongly suggests that individual Americans can and do make a significant difference in the cultural fabric of American society.
As a professor and researcher of leadership, I have had a career of exploring how to take words and translate them into actions. With that backdrop, for the past six months, I have done an informal survey of over 120 people from all walks of life asking them this important question: “What is your responsibility to make our community, and by extension our country, a better place?”
What started out as a philosophical question quickly turned into a very practical set of responses. Some were pretty obvious, while others really made me think because of their personal nature. Let’s open with “the big three do’s” mentioned by virtually everyone.
- Be an informed voter and take the time to vote. Yet, U.S. voter turnout for local elections hovers around 20 percent; off-year national elections 40 percent, and around 60 percent for presidential elections. Room for improvement as a society.
- Pay your taxes (as painful as that might be). We all know taxes provide revenue for federal, local, and state governments to fund essential services that include highways, police, education, the justice system, social services, and national defense, among others. We all benefit from these manifold services that we could not efficiently provide for ourselves.
- Know and obey the laws. Obeying the law ensures social order, protects individuals and property, and provides a framework for resolving disputes, preventing harm, and upholding fundamental rights. Obeying vehicular laws keeps our roads safer. When people obey the law, our country is a better place for everyone.
But then responses shifted from the “big picture” to our individual lives.
- Keep your marriage strong. Research shows that strong and stable marriages improve financial stability, physical/mental/emotional health, health in old age, overall longevity and healthier kids.
- If you have children, intentionally nurture them. Research shows that the future of most societies is dictated by how well parents raise their children physically, emotionally, educationally and spiritually. Healthy children are our country’s future!
- Practice common courtesy and be kind. Whether driving, shopping, out to eat, or in your home, common courtesy or being polite and respectful of others fosters a sense of mutual caring, cohesion, and well-being. Most people truly respect, need, and appreciate kindness, including grace or being given the benefit of doubt, which is more important today than ever. And it is free.
- Help those less fortunate than yourself. Lending a helping hand to a neighbor or stranger in need or regularly volunteering to help others in our community are important/meaningful ways to share our time, talent, and treasure to serve others. This service makes the community stronger while providing us with great personal satisfaction.
- Be neighborly to your neighbors. Being friendly, helpful, and respectful to those who live nearby creates a greater sense of community, neighborhood ownership, safety, and a willingness to look after each other. Friendliness is also free.
- Respect diversity of opinion. Living in the information age, our society has become polarized and we have lost our ability to listen to each other and have respectful dialogue. To solve real problems and build real solutions requires open minds and meaningful discussion, whether at home, work, or in the community.
- Don’t litter. Do recycle. These simple actions offer numerous environmental and social benefits, including reducing pollution, conserving natural resources, promoting a cleaner healthier environment, protecting property values and encouraging safety for everyone while requiring very little effort.
In the end, many would say that these “societal do’s” are simply common sense. But I would add if people collectively engaged in these individual activities their community would be a safer, friendlier, stronger, and more attractive place for people to live and work.
At your next family gathering, ask JKF’s question and see what you might learn. I am confident that you will have a very meaningful conversation benefiting not only the people in your circle, but also our community as a whole when we take action on these important practices. We all have the wonderful power to be better doers.
