What am I doing to deserve this country?

This evening I was profoundly impressed by the words of Cory Booker, the 38 year old mayor of Newark, New Jersey.  I’m not sure why I didn’t know more about him, or why I seem surprised by his charisma and energy.   An interview aired tonight on Bill Moyer’s Journal where he offered perspectives on issues pertaining to race, reducing poverty and crime.

Even though he played football for Stanford (Go Bears!) his perspectives inspired me to reflect on my own values and what I could be doing do help craft a community that I want my son to grow up in.  I plan to pay more attention to him in the years to come and expect to see him popping up in the media more often (he’ll be rallying votes for Obama in North Carolina).  Here’s a snippet from the show:

BILL MOYERS: So what’s the strategy? I think this is what– I’ve got a nationwide audience all over the country listening to the mayor of Newark. What is the new strategy? It’s not civil rights legislation. We did that in the ’60s. Billions of dollars have been poured into the cities, billions right here in Newark. What is the strategy that you think people living in urban areas all over this country should follow to deal with these intractable, real, grim facts on the ground?

CORY BOOKER: I say simply this: don’t look at government to do it, don’t look at somebody else, look in the mirror and ask yourself, “I benefit from this nation. I benefit from incredible sacrifices. What am I willing to do different this year to make a difference in the problems in America?”
<<snip>>
That’s the final question people should ask. What am I doing to deserve this country? I’m an American. That comes with obligations. We have the Statue of Liberty on one side. I think we should build another statue in this country called the Statue of Obligation, the Statue of Responsibility. And people should understand that by the very nature people are fighting to become citizens of the United States of America, willing to do whatever it takes, but, we’re taking for granted what that legacy means.

More of this interview is available at: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/03282008/profile2.html