Working Together to Renew America’s Promise

“America’s promise isn’t that all of its people would be born into prosperity, but that all of its people have the opportunity to achieve it.”

As a marketer, I’ve spent many hours over my career listening to people across America discuss their needs, wants and desires. In my job, the purpose is to find better ways to communicate and deliver value to Americans in order to grow sales and subsequently the business. Now, I’m listening to better understand how I can promote the right public policies and persuade our elected officials to pursue a course for government that renews America’s promise, increases opportunity and builds prosperity for all Americans.

Americans are united in our desire to have a chance to carve out a life of our own making and the freedom to make our own choices without intrusion from others. We all simply want opportunity. Opportunity to work hard and through determination, persistence and effort — a share in America’s abundance. A chance at prosperity and to watch our children and grandchildren achieve more than we could ever imagine. Republicans, Democrats, Independents or Third Party — we are all resolute in these beliefs. These are not bipartisan ideals, but shared beliefs among all Americans.

America’s promise is broken.
We have all felt the devastating effects of this broken promise. Some more than others, but inherently the undercurrent of our polarized society is the reality that America hasn’t been keeping it’s promise. Americans have continued to work hard, but have seen the fruits of their labor diminish, future prospects dim and a growing fear of an uncertain future. Instead of being a beacon of light and certainty — our leaders have leveraged our uncertainty to further divide us, polarize the debate and grow their power.

“the true price of leadership is the willingness to place the needs of others above your own. Great leaders truly care about those they are privileged to lead and understand that the true cost of the leadership privilege comes at the expense of self-interest.”
― Simon Sinek, Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t

Our society works when we trust each other and trust that our leaders are advocating for our best interests. That doesn’t mean that all of their decisions need to directly provide us some benefit, but that collectively they’re doing what they can — so that we are better off due to their leadership. America’s promise will be renewed when our leaders rebuild trust, advocate for public policy that balances our needs (and ideas from both sides), and help grow opportunity and prosperity for all Americans. Our leaders will only work to renew America’s promise when we stand together and demand change.

It starts with us.
We have to realize that the enemy isn’t our Republican neighbor or our Democratic co-worker. Our opponent is any person in power that chooses their self interests and the interests of a few over the good of us all. Anyone who has chosen the interests of the “special interests” over us. Someone who feels they “owe” their donors over their voters. So-called leaders who willingly put profits over people and turn a blind eye to those who need help, those who’ve been hurt, and those Americans that have had opportunity’s door closed.

Over the past couple of decades, we’ve seen record explosion of wealth at the top, a shrinking middle class, explosion of government debt, constant drumbeat for more tax cuts, and more Americans needing help due to stagnant wage growth. Americans are tired of these outcomes and want change. They want a return to common-sense solutions, people working together, and policies rooted in empathy, compassion and generosity — instead of greed, indifference and apathy. Ultimately, we want leaders who lead.

True leaders will rise up over partisan politics and begin building bridges across America instead of building walls of further polarization. Politics does not need to be a zero sum game — meaning someone wins and someone loses — but instead we can deliver innovative and mutually beneficial solutions that help renew America’s promise. This is the America that a high majority of us want, need and desire.

Liberals do not want to waste taxpayer money any more than Conservatives. Conservatives leverage Social Security and Medicare as much as Liberals. Neither side wants to pay any higher taxes than necessary and desire our government to protect us from harm, but not be overbearing in doing so. Long story short — America isn’t as simple as “left” and “right” or “Liberal” and “Conservative”. We are a nation of diverse thoughts, ideas, backgrounds and people and as such requires us to work together to leverage that diversity — not run to ideological poles to harness power. Only working together can we strengthen our nation and economy, increase opportunity and build prosperity for all.

We can renew America’s promise, but we will need new leaders and be open to working together. It is time for change. Time to remember that we are all Americans first.

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”
― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Follow me on Twitter: @Charlie_Breit
Like me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/votecharliebreit/
Sign up for My Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/cJkM3T