We, the People…

I love people.

Well, for the most part.  There are times when I don’t care for people at all.  I think we all have those moments.  You know, when the people behind you in the movie theatre are talking or texting or doing the candy wrapper crinkle?  Those people…

Unfortunately, there are a lot of those people in this world.  A world full of seven billion people.  BILLON.  That’s a big number.  One could get lost in a crowd like that.  And often times, people do get lost in the crowd.  The good people.  The caring, compassionate, law abiding people.  We tend not to focus on those people.

It’s the candy crinklers that get all the press.

We have the power to change that.  You know that, right?  There are billions of positive stories to tell, and we need to start telling them.  It will take courage, determination and perseverance, but it can be done.   It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.

Because there are a lot of people out there that are just plain decent people.  It’s those people that I love.  A rainbow of people.  All different colors and cultures.

This week my country celebrates its independence from British rule.  Before I continue, understand one thing about me.  I’m a sucker for baseball, apple pie and Chevrolet.  I cry every time I hear the Star Spangled Banner.  My favorite colors are Red, White and Blue…especially when organized together on our flag.  I try and make it a point to personally approach service men and women and shake their hands and say “thank you”.  The Fourth of July celebration is my favorite holiday.  These are things to know about me.

And though we celebrate our independence this week, this isn’t a time we are saying “we are better.”  In fact, there is never a time to say that.  Our independence simply means that we took the power to rule away from a monarch and gave it to the people.

We, the People.

We have the power to ensure everyone has the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.  We have the power to ensure a quality of life that is rich and full of opportunity.  Free from oppression.  We have the power, but as every Spiderman fan knows…with great power comes great responsibility.  And that is what it boils down to, responsibility.

We, the People, have a responsibility to hold ourselves accountable first before holding others accountable.

We, the People, have a responsibility to leave better children for our planet and not just a better planet for our children.

We, the People, have a responsibility to abide by the law because it protects us.

We, the People, have a responsibility to make a positive contribution to society.

We, the People, have a responsibility to hold others accountable for their actions.

We, the People, have a responsibility to raise our standards, not lower them.

We, the People, have a responsibility to never stop educating ourselves.

We, the People, have a responsibility to understand faith is a personal journey and not a call to action.

We, the People, have a responsibility that we must take seriously.

Most importantly, folks, understand the phrase is “WE, the People”.  Not YOU, not ME.  The issues we face aren’t the responsibility of one man.  They are OUR responsibility.  One person doesn’t run this country.  We, the People do.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…I’m not calling one person out.  I’m calling everyone out.  This week is a reminder we have a responsibility.  Because I love people.  I love when people take responsibility for their actions and do their best to makes their lives the most it can be.  I love it when people are pursuing life, liberty and happiness.  I love when I take responsibility for my own actions and do everything in my power to make a positive contribution to society.

Because if my contribution isn’t positive, it’s negative.  And negative isn’t good for anyone.

I have a responsibility to remember that.  But these responsibilities stretch beyond the borders of this country.  There are a lot of great countries out there.  And whether they were built on the same foundation or not, each country has a responsibility to make a positive contribution to society.  Because regardless of your history, faith or culture, if you’re contribution isn’t positive, it’s negative.

Ultimately we are all humans, being.

We are all people.

We, the People.