The Real Hero of the American Story

We spend a lot of time talking about and waiting for a hero to save America -- the next Abe Lincoln or Teddy Roosevelt. That's rubbish.

The real heroes in America can be found everywhere, right under our noses.

On this Labor Day, I salute my Uncle Joe, one of the hardest working people I know. As a logger and truck driver, he wakes daily at 3:00 or 3:30 a.m. every day and he works until 6 p.m. Despite the aches and pains in his 60s, he never complains. He goes to church with Aunt Liz on Sunday, and his mission in life is to help people... in a million small ways.

He's not perfect. Just ask Uncle Joe. He drinks too much, he has not planned for retirement well, and he got caught up in the materialistic flurry that led so many to remortgage.

He's human, just like you and me.

But his heart is good, and he cares about the state of America and other people. He's involved in the community and he's been married almost 40 years.

That won't last forever. Uncle Joe is the soul of the country, as are millions just like him. Candidates will catch on.

We need to stop waiting for another Lincoln or Roosevelt or Kennedy or Reagan. The hero of America is YOU if you're willing to sacrifice and get involved. The hero is US if we are willing to raise our voices.

As Uncle Joe says, "We've forgotten who is the boss in America. The citizen is the boss."

You are the boss. How's that going?

As the ancients asked: "If not you, who? If not now, when?"

Let's do this.