Pushing Back Against Fear and Moving Forward

Most of you understand the great love I have for this community, and I certainly appreciate the wonderful support I’ve received from many of you over the 35 years

I’ve enjoyed living here. When I’m out at events, I truly do enjoy you engaging me, talking regarding important events in your lives and those of your children. Some of you I’ve known from the time your parents brought you into this world, and if you don’t think that makes me feel old, you’re sadly mistaken.

I do feel it’s time for a little of what is known as “tough love,” because we are starting to drift in a direction that I’m not comfortable with. It’s not unique to Marco but seems to be a trend we find weaving its way through the fabric of society itself, not just here in our community.

For the most part, America is a nation which thrives on the positive things in life. Yes, we like winners, and we like winning. We are a competitive society, which drives us to do “big” things. A great example was when President John Kennedy challenged our nation to do what most thought was impossible. 

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others too,” said Kennedy in 1962.

When President Roosevelt challenged our nation to rise up and take on the challenges that faced us due to the terrible depression that gripped the worldwide economies, we did so. It wasn’t easy, and neither were the challenges regarding the dark clouds of war that were thrust upon our nation, but we did so. Once again, not because it was easy, but because it was right. 

In my opinion, once again we are being challenged, this time not by a tyrant from a foreign land or by a terrible depression. This time we are facing a much more insidious enemy - one we cannot see or identify, but one as dangerous as a pandemic or a tyrant. 

FDR’s words ring as true today, as did his words when spoken in 1933, during his inaugural address to the nation. “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”  Our nation is capable of taking on any challenge that faces us, as most of those challenges feed off of allusions - our lack of knowledge about a subject, or our failure as citizens to study and understand the issues that face us. It makes our lack of understanding of the issues more of a problem than the issue itself. 

Don’t misunderstand me, there are great challenges that face us. Challenges to our democracy and to our own communities. However, they all are solvable. We just have to take away the factor of “fear,” which some seek to interject into the conversation. They know that fear will grow as long as we have those that walk among us who seek to misrepresent the truth and skew the conversations with untruths and misinformation.

We see that in all levels of conversations in which we are engaged today. We must push back on that tactic and, instead, insist on open and accurate dialogue regarding the issues that come before us. Then, and only then, will we have a true understanding of those complex issues, whether they be on the local, county, state, or national level. 

We should never be afraid of a healthy and open discussion on any issue, but those discussions must have a foundation built on unassailable truths. However, appealing to fears in the hearts of those you attempt to convince is wrong, and will result in outcomes which will be counterproductive to a successful resolution of those issues before us.

Our community is a wonderful place to live, bring up children, grow businesses and to just sit back and enjoy the wonderful fruits of your hard work and dedication over the years. Let us not allow “fear” to be the determining factor in making our decisions. Let’s have a reasoned and truthful discussion regarding issues so that we can make insightful, rational, and logical decisions that will benefit our community and those that will be left after our footprints fade on the beach we so love.