Some, A Lot, Most, All Americans

America needs all sorts of people.  We need some bold, innovative entrepreneurs.  We need some prudent and thoughtful caretakers.  We need some independent, spirited individualists to fight for their rights (and everybody's through their courage).  We need some bleeding-heart, compassionate folks to tend to those less fortunate.  We need some insightful and effective leaders to cope with our problems and move ahead with confidence aforethought.  We need some focused and brave soldiers and police to defend us from harm from abroad and at home.  We need a lot of us to find our life-work in understanding and solving the many problems caused by human interaction with our environment, through scientific, engineering, education and project management means. We need a lot to work toward our physical and mental health, with a strong bent toward prevention.  We need a lot of us to passionately and skillfully educate our children to be their best future selves.  We need most of us to recognize that we're all in this together, to recognize the strength of our nation rests on the aggregate strength of all of us.  We need most of us to see that creating desperate, dependent, insecure people will sap the life-blood resources as we deal with more of them driven to criminality, dependency and chronic health maladies.  And we need most of them do do something about it.  We need all Americans to call upon their optimism and ability, to follow their calling and thrive by serving their fellow beings.  We need all Americans to raise their kids with tons of love and patience, to let them learn to struggle and overcome, to value learning, and to follow their own life path like they did.  We need all Americans to respect our differences and others' right to do their own thing.

I know there is no clear line between what's good for a society and the rights of individuals.  Or where a child's rights and their parent's right should be drawn, or where freedom to practice religion and child well-being (as in the case of Christian Scientists who deny standard healthcare to children, or genital mutilation).  I know the sensibilities about what is permissible (and what is not) changes as society winds its way through the philosophical shifts that naturally happen as a people interact with ideas over time.  I realize that, in the era of increasing globalization, as cultures continue to swirl around and within each other, we will continue to undergo development, often unpredictably.  As Americans, we will continue to navigate and refine where we come down on issues, but we all need to keep our perspective broad and deep, with our ultimate goal to allow us to live a life well spent, whatever that means to each of us.

No hurry, let's get it right.  Let's build this thing.  All of us.