Jersey City Mayor Jeremiah Healy and I celebrate Barack Obama's election

I spent Sunday morning visiting black churches here in Newark and heard so many pastors, in poignant praise, illuminate our nation’s presidential choice in historical context. My own pastor spoke of years of struggle and tears, years of sacrifice and pain, years of faith amidst oceans of despair that WERE NOT IN VAIN. “Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning.”

There is joy. There is joy for black Americans and white Americans; joy for all those who believe our country is a nation conceived in perfect ideals and called to a perfect mission but that has been in an unyielding struggle to address our imperfections.

We elected Barack Obama. The achievement is not simply that he is a black man but that he was the best candidate for the job selected for that reason and not rejected for his race.

For all of us who love America, such a time of jubilation and triumph must also be a time of sober focus on the work that must still be done to make our union more perfect. The promise of America is still not real for all Americans. The pledge we have all made and that millions of schoolchildren make every day — that we are “one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all” — is still one of aspiration.

Especially now — in this time of economic crisis, in this time of insecurity and worry, in a time in America where far too many face medical bills that cannot be paid and mortgages that cannot be sustained — we must take an honest stock as to what such a victory truly means.

Especially now — in this time of war, when our nation hemorrhages billions of dollars per month in an ill-conceived war; when the blood of great and heroic American soldiers flows into a foreign land at a more painful rate than any treasure we have spent; and at a time when our national torch of freedom, justice and truth, a once guiding light for many nations, has been obscured in the sight of our global friends — we must take an honest stock as to what such a victory truly means..

Especially now – in this time when we have too many children that go to school through the 8^th grade yet only receive a 5^th grade education; in this time when we have too many communities where violence trumps peace, where poverty punishes dreams of prosperity, and where individual hatred undermines collective love – we must take honest stock as to what such a victory truly means.

In a time of crisis past, the great Langston Hughes swore an oath to America that he would make real the promise of this country of hope.

. . . O, let America be America again– The land that never has been yet– And yet must be–the land where every man is free. The land that’s mine–the poor man’s, Indian’s, Negro’s, ME– Who made America, Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain, Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain, Must bring back our mighty dream again.

O, yes, I say it plain, America never was America to me, And yet I swear this oath– America will be!

The day after Jackie Robinson stepped onto a major league baseball diamond, people in cities, towns and communities all across America rejoiced, and then went out to continue the difficult yet rewarding work of coaching and helping millions of children toward their dreams.

The day after Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon, teachers in schools across the country continued the difficult work of teaching, counseling and empowering children to learn.

On VJ Day and VE day, Americans all across the country celebrated the victory of American soldiers and the defeat of enemies who threatened the free world. But the very next day, soldiers of our democracy returned to streets, neighborhoods and courtrooms, to register blacks to vote, bring legal challenges to segregation and Jim Crow laws and to work for a richer justice for all Americans.

In church today, we prayed for Barack Obama and the team he will eventually bring with him to Washington. His is a sacred task; to lead our nation through crisis to prosperity. But beyond Obama, we must also recommit ourselves to our righteous work in cities, towns and neighborhoods all across America.

Dr. King said, “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.” Certainly Obama’s election does not mean our nation will inevitably manifest the best of our collective ideals. It will take continuous, collective struggle and sacrifice. As Ghandi said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” We cannot simply hope that Obama is that change.

Obama is our president and now we must go back to work, with the same interest, enthusiasm, creativity and passion we evidenced in this past election.

After my successful election as Mayor of Newark in 2006, I challenged all of the lawyers who supported my campaign to do something to continue our momentum for change. The lawyers decided to stay together and challenge others to join our mission – which was never about electing one man but about changing one city.

Together, we formed our nation’s first ever fully pro bono legal service program for men and women returning from prison. We call it ReLeSe (Reentry Legal Services). We saw that the majority of ex-offenders who return to prison do so because of technical parole violations. Many, who make the tragic choice of returning to lives of crime, do so because they perceive no path through their legal and financial troubles. Our volunteer lawyers help ex-offenders disentangle the many legal and administrative challenges that impair their paths to occupational security and constructive connections with the community. Our volunteer lawyers have now empowered dozens of men and women to stay out of prison and make constructive contributions to Newark. (Please see www.njisj.org for more information.)

I am proud of how Newarkers have answered the call that I believe Stokely Carmichael first made famous: “We are the leaders we’ve been looking for.” Any honest survey of my community and those throughout our nation evidence that there is so much more Americans can and must do to fulfill the promise of our nation. We, who wave the flag of other people’s glory, we, who drink deeply from a well of freedom that we did not dig, should consider it a small measure of sacrifice to continue the campaign for change well past Obama’s election. During this past election, Americans, on both sides of the political aisle, donated hundreds of millions of dollars and put forth millions of volunteer hours. I witnessed a demonstration of a collective enthusiasm for America that I have rarely seen beyond the more shallow displays on the Fourth of July or the poignant patriotism evidenced weeks following a national disaster or the grave attack on American soil seven years ago. Barack Obama is our president. Now what? Now we must continue as the call to serve our nation remains and grows more urgent.

God bless America, God bless our next President Barack Obama, and may God bless all Americans in our unyielding pursuit of our ideals.

My experiences in Newark have been clear. When American citizens pull together, there is little we can’t accomplish. Today, millions of Americans united and chose change. This is a historic election for many reasons. Most importantly, the election of Barack Obama now offers a momentous opportunity for us to reclaim the American narrative that we most admire. We can reclaim our standing in the world and begin the necessary work to rebuild our economy and create greater opportunity for all citizens.

The focus of my work, of course, has been to change the narrative of American cities - with more than 80% of Americans living in cities or their suburbs; I believe it is critical for American success that we change the story of American cities.

American cities have in the past offered, and do now offer, abundant opportunity for our nation. However, the narrative in past decades for too many cities – be it perception, reality, or a combination of both — has been marred by the flight of industry and the disappearance of jobs; the rise of lawlessness and plague of gangs; the decay of once proud institutions and schools that fail to educate at the levels that we expect; and too many people living at the margins of America’s promise of abundant opportunity.

But I have witnessed the truth. The narrative in many cities has been slowly changing as hope is spreading to so many urban centers. Now with Obama as president, this growing hope can become an abundant harvest of dreams fulfilled. Obama’s vision and many of his plans can move to end the urban narrative of negativity and tell a new story resonate with the best of American aspirations. Through difficult yet critical work, cities can become irrefutable and unassailable places of industrial, educational and artistic excellence; of a new enlightened green knowledge based economy; and a place of continuous innovation. Cities can become the engines that fuel our nation’s growth and prosperity and they can be wide gateways for families to achieve their own American dream of prosperity. Cities can be places that represent the best of our ideals: where Americans of all different backgrounds can come together and through their interactions, and even through their unity, spawn true American greatness.

Barack Obama can be the president that helps America speak to the profound greatness of its rural areas, its suburbs and its mighty cities again.

About 18 months ago, I was proud to be one of New Jersey’s first elected officials to endorse Senator Obama. When I first met with Senator Obama, it was clear to me that he had a deep and unique understanding of the central importance that our cities play in America’s revival – that was one of the several reasons for my early endorsement and continuing support. He is committed to strengthening the federal commitment to our cities through several key initiatives, including:- Creating a White House Office of Urban Policy to develop a strategy for metropolitan America and to ensure that all federal dollars targeted to urban areas are effectively spent on the highest-impact programs.

- Stimulating economic prosperity in urban areas by supporting job creation, enhancing workforce training, and increasing access to capital for underserved businesses.

- Increasing the supply of affordable housing, and ensuring that middle-class Americans get the financial assistance they need to purchase or keep their own home.

- Strengthening our transportation systems, including our roads and bridges – which also will create up to two million new direct and indirect jobs per year and stimulate approximately $35 billion per year in new economic activity.

- Reinforcing and refocusing on education programs that support teachers in urban schools, expand early childhood education and reduce the high school dropout rate. He also speaks to urban innovation and reform.

- Creating a new green economy, which will not only lower carbon output, increase energy efficiency, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil but also create new businesses and tens of thousands of new jobs.

- Support local law enforcement through fully-funded programs that place more police officers on the street and help address police brutality and accountability issues in local communities.

Obama’s commitment to changing the narrative of American cities is critical to our nation’s success. His vision for cities that are safe and affordable, centers of our new economy, the locus for educational excellence at all levels, places of research and innovation, engines for global competitiveness, and a place for great and diverse cultural expressions holds profound promise for America’s future. This is the change our nation needs. This is the change that today we have voted for.

In the months to come, I look forward to working with our next President, Barack Obama, and his administration to begin the next great chapter of American history. Our success, however, is fully dependent upon how we as a nation unite in pursuit of our common ideals and values. Will we be committed to common struggle and collective sacrifice as our ancestors were? I believe we have the right leader, with the right message, to inspire us to act in concert and claim what I believe is America’s great destiny.

In the face of progress there are constant reminders of the work we have to do.

In eight days. three people were murdered in Newark. Early signs show that they were narcotic related, possibly gang related, targeted murders.

This is no comfort.

In the same eight day stretch, there were murders in other communities around our state –weapons in the hands of individuals seeking to destroy human life and rip apart communities.

Where is the comfort?

Families, strong and determined to live their American dream, suddenly have chaos descend — neighborhoods, with children and families who love Newark (or whichever New Jersey communities in which they live), suddenly have evil explode outside their doors.

Does this reflect who we are as a people, as a community, as a state, as a nation?

I knocked on doors and visited with family after family the first Friday night after the violence. I met the district leader as I knocked on doors. She spoke of hope and faith. “We will find a way . . .”

And so we stand in America. The violence is just a symptom of larger challenges that, like cancer, threaten our collective health.

In Newark. . . yes, “We will find a way.”

Now is not the time to falter in our commitment. Now is not the time to equivocate. There is work to do.

Pointing fingers and casting blame has no place at a time when we must all accept responsibility.

The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.

Now, there is no comfort.

Perhaps being comfortable, amidst so much discomfort, is part of the problem.

We are strong – let us now show our strength.

We are courageous – let us show our daring.

We are determined – let us be unyielding in our efforts.

We are Newark – we will endure, we will overcome . . .

WE WILL SUCCEED.

•       This morning’s press conference made me proud.  Despite budget deficits and an economy in crisis, we continue to make significant strides in public safety.  When I took office in July 2006,  our fire fleet was unacceptably old and we did not have all the critical equipment I believed necessary.  Today we launched two new ladder trucks, ensured that every such truck in our fleet has “jaws of life” in them to aid in rescues, and even launched a small ATV to aid in fire rescue in crowds.  These are major additions to our Fire Department’s equipment and fleet.  This all comes after we have added more firefighters to our ranks, put radios in the hands of every firefighter, launched a new fire dispatch system, launched a new urban rescue vehicle, ended rotational closings and reopened the firehouse on Bergen Street –- promises that were made and kept.•       Ahhhhh Arbor Day.  I must admit that, before I was in elected office,  many holidays would slide across my calendar with scarcely a notice.  Now that I am Mayor, I take greater notice of each and every day, from Take Your Daughter to Work Day to Hug Your Mayor Day  (okay, there is no such day yet but a man can dream).  It is more than my focusing more on the significance and substance of each passing day — it is incredible people from all around Newark who remind me and lead me in realizing the power and significance of certain days (Labor Day and Veterans’ Day are two great examples).  Arbor Day has come into my focus not only because of my newfound understanding of the profound environmental impact of trees in our cities but, more importantly, because so many young people in Newark seem to understand the importance of trees (more so than many adults).  Every  Arbor Day, I am asked by students to come and join them in a tree planting.  Today, I spent some time at First Avenue School planting a tree with students and listening to these amazing young Newarkers lead the way in proclaiming a greener Newark.  This was environmental enthusiasm at its height –- kids, dirt, shovels and, on center stage, a tree.  Their enthusiasm was infectious and I wish more people could have witnessed it.  As I prepared to leave and looked back, something about the students, their joy and that tree made me feel down right patriotic. . . .

Oh, say can you see,
Our kids our planting a tree

What so proudly we hail’d
Their shovels never failed

And the sunlight’s bright glare
The buds bursting in air

Gave proof through Arbor Day
That our future is there

Oh say, does that tree’s branches do wave
O’er the land of the free and our children so brave

Okay, I know my staff will make fun of me for that one. . . . but I couldn’t resist.  Have a great day Newark. . . . plant a tree!

Wednesday was a very busy day and evening that ended with debate watching.  Here are  some highlights:

•       When I was young, I loved the Guinness Book of World Records so I was thrilled to be present when Nik Wallenda set out to break a high wire record right here in Newark (he walked and rode a bike 135 feet above the street!).  As he got to the end and the tires of his bicycle slipped, many in the crowd gasped.  I wondered if he was just showboating.  So, after he finished, after the press began to leave, someone pointed out his father to me.  I approached him and thanked him and his family for expanding the imagination of humanity as to what is possible and our ability to go beyond perceived barriers and limitations.  Then, I had to ask him what he thought of the tire slip.  He looked at me and, with the concerned look of a father, let me know it wasn’t an act.  Dangerous work indeed.

•       I left there and went back to our larger high wire effort.  In this economic time, keeping our City on the road to financial strength and well being is indeed like walking a tightrope.  Our team is meeting and talking a lot now as this economy continues to put us in difficult circumstances -– from the bond market frustrating our capital plans to the continued increases in business costs.

•       There was a conference on reducing drop-outs in our schools in Newark on Wednesday.  I had the distinct privilege to introduce Alma Powell, the wife of General Colin Powell, at the conference.  I was pleased to see so many of our state’s leaders coming together to work on this problem.  Mrs. Powell is truly a great national leader in the effort to empower our children to succeed and her work now with America’s Promise is truly noteworthy. 

•     Young people dropping out of high school or not obtaining a significant level of education is one of the core reasons we are facing so many challenges — from the economic strength of our communities to the level of crime in our neighborhoods.  Putting more police on the streets is merely addressing symptoms of this larger problem.  The New York Times recently reported that an African-American youth who does not graduate from high  school has a greater chance of going to prison than having a full-time job.  This is a national security issue.  In a global knowledge based economy, a nation that fails to educate large portions of its population is a nation that fails to compete and thrive in the new 21st century economy.  Here in Newark, we are showing so many examples of being able to address this problem from our high performing schools to  our recently created  Youth Education and Employment Success Center.  These islands of excellence demonstrate that we CAN make the needed changes to address the needs of at-risk youth.  It is now a question of WILL:   Will we transform our schools into cathedrals of learning?  Will we execute on more programs that intervene with at-risk youth (mentoring, academic based enrichment programs, alternative to detention programs, etc.)?   Will we not simply use “change” as a political slogan or will we do what is necessary to make change in our communities?  Will we change ourselves in what we do, in how much we contribute, in how involved we are in meeting the true challenges that face our nation?

•       I met with leaders at the New Jersey Dental School at UMDNJ — truly an impressive institution that provides so much service for low income and uninsured families in and around Newark.  I was struck by the power of dentistry to transform lives, to give confidence to individuals, to help expand economic opportunity (in a service sector economy, many places will not hire people with damaged or missing teeth), to ensure overall health (decay and infection in the mouth can severely affect overall health) and to help children learn (a shocking number of hours of school are missed by children as a result of persistent dental conditions) and much more.  So much of the Dental School’s ability to provide robust services to our residents is dependent on funding from the state and, to an increasing extent, from private individuals.  I was honored to talk to some of these individuals, to thank them for their work and pledge my increased support for their mission and in addressing the growing shortfalls in funding.  I am truly grateful to Dr. and Mrs Irwin Smigel and their entire family for their commitment to dental care and especially dental care for poor children.  I look forward to working with them and their incredible commitment to Newark.

We held a press conference today regarding the reorganization of the Newark Police Department and my public safety team. While there is much that could be said here, there really is one critical point:  we will not allow anything or anyone to compromise the tremendous success we are having in public safety.  It is critical to me that the strength of my public safety team, a team that is now setting records for violent crime reduction, with more progress possible and necessary, not be undermined in any way.  Garry McCarthy and Anthony Campos will continue to be key players on my team and I believe the changes we are making will only enhance their abilities to perform this central mission of my administration.  We must remain focused — while we have achieved some success, the success I seek for Newark has not yet been achieved.  Reductions in excess of 40% in shootings and murders and across the board reductions in other crimes are great signs of progress but I demand more, and, certainly, our residents deserve more.  In the coming months, we will put more police on our streets, utilize more technology, improve our accountability, become more sophisticated with our strategies and implement more and more of our plans so that,  withiin three to five years, our City stands as a model in our nation for crime reduction.  We must expect the best, we must manifest excellence, we must show the world who we are as a people – Newarkers – Americans.  Over the last two years, we have proven that we can exceed expectations – now it is time for our City to set the standard for national excellence.  This is not only possible but I believe it is our destiny. 

So the distractions must cease.  I have made the necessary changes to accomplish this.  With the continued support and leadership of the Municipal Council, we will continue to move forward.

After the press conference, the balance of the day was full of public safety events – most notably, the graduation of my first class of Newark Special Police.  This class was very important to me for many reasons — but most importantly because of Jerry Lane, the president of the Newark Specials. When I was still a law student, fairly new to Newark and living on Martin Luther King Blvd., I witnessed how one person, one Special police officer, could transform a block and neighborhood.  Officer Lane performed above and beyond the call of his work.  His commitment not just to his job (providing security to a building) but his commitment to people, and his love of Newark, drove him to help clear our neighborhood of violent crime, drug dealing and disrespect.  He was a hero in that community.  I am forever grateful for the kind of commitment he demonstrated then and now in his role as head of the Newark Specials.

I held open office hours again on October 7th from 4:00 p.m. until about  9:30 p.m.  Dozens of residents came by, seeking help and offering it, sharing spirit and lifting mine.  Office hours are long and challenging at times but some of my most meaningful days spent in this job.

These days, I find myself running around more and more and juggling the demands and work of being Mayor and the efforts on behalf of the Obama campaign.  I have been spending my weekend days  bouncing around Newark and popping in and out of surrounding New Jersey towns.  Today was a lot of fun though an intense pace. 

My favorite event today was the celebration at the Hispanic Heritage parade.  The sad truth (that I will only admit here) is that I can dance a very good merengue but my salsa leaves a lot to be desired.  So, naturally, my timing could not have been worse — I arrived at the stage precisely when the salsa music was playing and people were all crowded around watching.  As soon as I arrived, someone grabbed my hand and I was on the “dance floor”.  Now I have a lot of secondary priorities as Mayor – well after crime reduction, expanding economic opportunity, increasing the quality of life for children and families in Newark; well after getting our municipal budget in order, pushing municipal reforms, creating systems of accountability and increasing customer service; well after attracting businesses to the City and helping entrepreneurs start here; well after a long list of professional goals are some key personal goals . . . continuing to be able to fit into the suits I’ve bought, calling my parents regularly and often, and PRESERVING MY DIGNITY.  So here I was on the dance floor, hundreds of people around to witness their Mayor and his “dancing” abilities. Fortunately there were few witnesses – no YouTube footage so let me tell the truth of what happened . . .

I danced in a way that many there probably found unforgettable.  My salsa dancing was truly original, a unique interpretation of a precious cultural tradition.

I stopped that night at a small fundraiser for Obama in South Orange.  I talked for a while and was proud to see a crowded house full of a diverse group of people all investing in their future.

Another full day.

The reality you describe is unacceptable.  We are making tremendous, even historic, progress in lowering crime – Newark leads the nation in violent crime reduction for 2008.   However, we still have so much work to do.  I am not sure the exact area you are describing but lets speak directly — I will take strong action against the problems you describe.  Please reach out to me – you may do so confidentially by emailing me at cbooker@bookerteam.com.  We WILL achieve transformational success against crime, and violent crime in particular.  We will take back our City and our neighborhoods for our families and residents but I need the help and partnership of individuals and communities all around our City.  Please join with me in this fight — what you describe is simply wrong and it won’t stop until we join together and fight even more than we are fighting now.  You have my pledge to work with you even more, please reach out to me.  This is our Newark.

Darnell,

I am so grateful for your note.  You obviously have strong allegiance to your community and our City - you also obviously have a good appreciation of the dramatic changes that are taking place in your neighborhood.  In my work as a community lawyer and elected official, I have seen a number of relocations.  They have not all gone well and I have seen some particularly bad examples (Hill Manor on High Street for example). 

When I became Mayor, and the Newark Housing Authority appointed Keith Kinard as its new director, this was one of my first points of discussion with him.  It was a professional concern and a personal one - I was living at Brick Towers at the time and Brick Towers residents were being relocated.  We agreed on a process and he demonstrated to me, through  the process at Brick Towers and a number of other relocations, that the past problems were corrected. 

But I understand that it is much more than just getting the process right – even if a resident receives a Section 8 voucher or is placed in a more desireable location,  it is still an emotional process.  The Baxter Terrace community has a long and strong history.  Many people have lived there for decades.  From the time when there was a black side and a white side to recent months, it has been a home where children were raised, lasting memories formed and a spiritual connection developed.  We should seek to elevate the people that live there, not just in terms of their housing but in terms of their spirits. 

With this understanding, we have tried to pursue a process that confronted concerns and fears and that gave strong assurances that City officials and NHA leadership were involved and accessable.  We have now had three larger community meetings.  I attended and spoke at the first.  The Newark Housing Authority has had individual meetings with residents and there has been a series of letters and updates. 

Baxter Terrace is in an extreme condition.  To abate the conditions and make the complex livable ( or more importantly to make it a place worthy of the residents who are there), would take considerably more resources than it would to build a new complex - a new complex we all can be proud of.  The future complex will not only have hundreds of units of public and low-income housing but will also  contain a retail component that will provide job opportunities for the residents and have better facilities  for  children, seniors and families.  It will also be far less dense than the current complex — it will be spread out over a much larger area.  Finally, It will be mixed income and be built in an environmentally conscious way.

I do take to heart what you said about the lasting concerns that people have.  Residents deserve assurance – the same kind of assurance I was able to provide Brick Tower residents when my own building was being relocated.  I believe  the Housing Authority is doing a good job and I have tried to be present up at Baxter Terrace as much as possible to engage people in an informal manner on the changes that are happening (I even got schooled on the basketball court there recently).  Darnell, I would, however, welcome the opportunity to talk to you about this more.  What might be best is if I go out to Baxter Terrace, and, as I did when I was the Central Ward Councilman, go door to door with information — Darnell, if we decide to do that, would you walk with me?

I hope to talk to you soon.  Please email me at cbooker@bookerteam.com with your phone number  so we can speak further.

I did a Dateline interview roundtable discussion today with one of my favorite Newark principals, Marni McCoy from Link School in Newark, as well as Reverend Eugene Rivers, Tiki Barber, our City’s great partner in park building, and Melissa Harris-Lacewell, a fantastic professor at Princeton. It was moderated by Al Roker of the Today Show.

12 years ago, Dateline did a show that featured 12 children being born at University Hospital in Newark. Presently, they are working on a follow-up to that as they followed a number of them into present day. They showed us interview clips of 4 of the 12 year-olds, their families and particularly interviews with the fathers – all of them now absent from the home. The footage spoke powerfully to the resiliency of the children and the strength of the women in their lives. It also left a lot to be discussed about the journey of the men in the lives of the kids -– two of whom were incarcerated.

The conversation was, at times, very personal (Tiki, for example, had a father who left he and his brother) and, at times, contentious. Lots of issues came to the head — I continuously tried to push the group to focus on specific things that we all could do to empower our community rather than repeating the same conversation over and over which highlights the problems and does not motivate problem solving. In the end, I was grateful for what all the panelists shared on and off the camera –- such thoughtful and committed people.

I was grateful that we discussed a lot of the innovative things Newark is doing to meet some of the challenges revealed (i.e., re-entry programs and the Newark Comprehensive Center for Fathers) and some of the programs we have and are developing for at-risk youth (i.e., community courts, the Youth Education Employment Success Center, rapid attachment to work programs, and grassroots organizations like Stop Shootin’ and Prodigal Sons and Daughters which are expanding their influence and activities).

I am always concerned about how the media looks at our City –- they often focus on the problems that exist in America without focusing on the solutions that Newark is bringing to the table and particularly the great progress we are making with our efforts and innovations. Right now, in Newark, there is so much activity going on. We are innovating, building on ideas and producing measurable results in everything from crime reduction to empowering men coming home from prison.

All in all, this conversation was excellent and honest and, I believe that, coupled with the video segment, it will be to our nation’s overall efforts to meet our collective challenges and responsibilities. I hope it can inspire people (especially fathers) to step up and take more responsibility for themselves, their families and the community. At the end of the day, we are all in it together –- each one of us must do our part, always realizing that we all have a role to play in the solution to any problem that afflicts our nation.