There are evenings when the world quiets down just enough to allow a simple but important question to surface: Is this really who we are becoming?
Not asked in anger. Not asked in judgment. Just asked honestly.
Because when you look beyond the noise, beyond the headlines and the constant pull to take sides, something deeper becomes clear. America has never been defined by its worst moments. It has always been defined by its willingness to rise above them.
At its core, this country was built on shared values—hard work, responsibility, freedom, respect, and a belief that tomorrow should be better than today. Those ideals didn’t come from perfection; they came from people who cared enough to try, to sacrifice, and to work together even when it wasn’t easy.
We are Americans. That means something.
It means we don’t abandon one another when times get difficult. We don’t let division erase our humanity. We understand that strength isn’t found in shouting the loudest, but in standing together with purpose and resolve.
America is not just a place on a map. It is a promise—passed down from generation to generation—that effort matters, integrity matters, and that each of us has a role to play in shaping the future. The freedoms we enjoy were earned by people who believed in unity, accountability, and service to something greater than themselves.
Now is one of those moments when remembering that matters most.
It’s time to step back, refocus, and ask ourselves what truly holds value. Not popularity. Not outrage. But character. Community. Responsibility. And the understanding that progress happens when we stop waiting for someone else to fix things and start working together to do it ourselves.
Waking up doesn’t mean losing hope—it means reclaiming it.
When we choose cooperation over conflict, service over self-interest, and purpose over division, we honor the generations before us and protect the generations still to come.
This is our country.
This is our shared responsibility.
And together, we are still capable of building something strong, lasting, and worthy of the name America.
Written By Scott Randy Gerber for The Tipping Point Tampa Bay ©2025 All Rights Reserved
