I live in Southern California, and as one can imagine, for the past two weeks I have spent most of my time and energy dealing with the wildfires in the area. In fact, two Monday's ago I was told to evacuate my residence because it lay in the projected path of the uncontrollable blaze. As it turned out, the home was never in any catastrophic danger- the closest the flames came was 10 miles. And despite my good fortune, several of my friends and co-workers lost their entire homes or came perilously close.

After the initial 24 hours of the fire crisis, I began to assess the situation as it unfolded. Citizens began setting up makeshift shelters for familiar faces and perfect strangers. The Marines, Navy, and National Guard mobilized to join the fight, working cold fire lines on the ground and dropping water from the sky. Local fire departments across Southern California quickly organized and fought the fires jointly- something that’s never been done before. Local and national businesses donated cash and supplies through non-governmental relief agencies and by setting up relief points manned by their own employees. All of this happened in a matter of hours, quickly, and seamlessly. The entire region came together in pursuit of one goal: to take care of each other. And all of this happened before Congress or the President could wield any of their power. The national response arrived in the form of tours by President Bush and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and an impromptu, bogus news conference put on by FEMA in which its own employees tossed softball questions to prop up the agency’s once again failed response.

As I have let the events of the past two weeks soak in I have made the following initial observations:


Americans are tough as nails and we do not need to be coddled by politicians, pseudo-celebrities, or the elite.

Americans are a tough breed and we can take care of ourselves, especially when forced. Our current political system does a staggering job of categorizing us as blue people or red people, when really we’re all trying to serve basic needs. Sometimes we may disagree on the best way to achieve our goals, but at the end of the day we are all made of the same moral fiber, whether we want to admit it or not. Crisis breaks down the surrounding blue and red walls and unites us for the common good.

But the elite do not want these walls broken down because such divisions allow them to measure and grow their power- power often used for their own self-interests. Politicians thrive off of the fear we have of one another and they refuse to loosen their stranglehold on our national psyche: harping on the fear of terrorism, the unknown, and adversity in general. Likewise, the media is obsessed with the shock and awe created by highlighting the most subtle differences between groups of people and overzealously stirring controversy from nothing. Furthermore, citizens amplify these messages and actions when we fall into a state of paralysis while waiting for our government to tell us what to do and for the media to pass that message along. All of this leads to a thick blanket of complacency over our country.

And yet, over the course of the past week, I have observed first-hand what is possible when we knock down these walls and rely on our own wits and instincts. If we could cultivate this same spirit in times other than crisis, I’m confident our country would become a better place.


The only way we can continue to be a great country is if our citizens begin spending less time living in extravagant abundance and more time living a life of servitude.

Our country has become fat, dumb, and happy. America currently enjoys an incredibly high per capita income and insanely low cost of services, and because of this, many Americans choose to insulate themselves from the outside world to great effect. One need not leave their home on any given day as long as they have an internet connection and credit card- a person can get along just fine buying goods off the web and interacting with friends and family via chat rooms, broadband phone, or email. And fulfillment is coming quicker than ever before: answers are simply a click away, and same day delivery means never having to go to bed in anticipation. Simply put, we live in a society were it is easier to internalize every action you make and forget about the other living, breathing humans around you.

Once upon a time in our country, great leaders like Lincoln, FDR, and Dr. King asked us to serve one another, not for an individual reward, but for the greater good. Americans believed that this greater good would make our society stronger, safer, and freer. But this part of our DNA now lies dormant, and we are in danger of losing it altogether. To stop the slow disintegration of the qualities that made America great, we must return to our roots as a collection of states united under one flag in pursuit of freedom and happiness, done with honor and dignity. We are capable of accomplishing this; I have witnessed it all in the past two weeks amid the Southern Californian flames.

We are capable of greatness, but only if we reinstitute a comprehensive cultural paradigm of service for all Americans. Until then, consider giving a little bit more and taking a little bit less. Also consider the way you react in crisis and the way you live your daily life. If the two do not match up, perhaps it’s time you acted like a fire was barreling down on you.


Further Reading: San Francisco Chronicle San Diego Union Tribune

Volunteer: Volunteer.gov Volunteermatch.org