O P I N I O N
THE SOAPBOX
Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.
As the Democratic primary season goes on and the President raises havoc around the nation and the world, it is time we look back at the lessons of history. Our history offers us a picture of what we should be doing to regain the respect of the rest of the world. We have provided leadership to the free world and we now have a chance to regain that esteemed place.
I can remember the assassination of JFK in Dallas, the killing of Martin Luther King Jr., and the tragic murder of Robert Kennedy. These events altered the course of our nation’s history, yes. But they also brought us together as Americans. In the past, when times got tough, we as a nation dug deep and worked together. We reaffirmed our values. We did not let difficulty or disagreement prevent us from moving forward and lifting one another up.
But today, it seems that we’ve lost that sense of resilience. Today, we let tragedy and uncertainty tear us apart. Day after day we hear of shootings all around our country. Many young children lose their lives and countless others are left to deal with the fallout from these tragedies. The resurgence of racism has come upon us, and there seems to be a growing disregard for caring for our neighbors. We live in a polarized society. We’ve lost faith in our political process. We lack the solutions-oriented leadership that once guided us through the toughest of times.
Have we as a nation lost our moral compass? At a time when our lives should be better, they are not. When we should be looking to our leaders for direction, we find nothing. I have lived in the best of times and have benefitted from hard work and the opportunities given to me. My work as a public servant has made me feel that I am part of trying to make things better. But I see today that the opportunities I had as a young man are less abundant than they once were, and that those whom we once looked to for direction are not the pillars of leadership they once were either.
In these trying times, we must demand more from our elected officials. Not only do they represent the face of our nation to the rest of the world, but they also set an example for us at home. We need leaders who will step up to bring us together, not exploit our differences for their own gain. We must hold accountable those who are responsible for conducting our politics. We must regain our moral compass and regain the positive place in the world which we have held for years.
We are a nation that has the will and the means to lead. The people must demand leadership that presents the best we can do. We all must do our part. That is what makes our nation work.
Senator Lou D’Allesandro represents Senate District 20, including the towns of Goffstown and Wards 3, 4, 10 and 11 in Manchester.
