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Many Americans still can recite word-for-word a famous -- and meaningful -- message delivered by President John F. Kennedy during his inaugural address on Jan. 20, 1961. That message:
"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
During this weekend of forgettable 2022 giving way to what many people hope will be a greatly more upbeat 2023, perhaps a message with a tone similar to Kennedy's is apropos, such as:
"Ask not what 2023 can do for you; ask what you can do to help make 2023 a better year for yourself, your country and your fellow citizens."
As an individual, you have the power to make a difference, if you commit yourself to it. Generally, people of the Southern Alleghenies region are good, decent, down-to-earth individuals who are capable of sorting the good things from the bad things they will encounter over the next 12 months.
Meanwhile, the religions to which people here belong, like the Scriptures, warn against worshiping false prophets, and it is evident, not only from 2022, that many "prophets" harboring weak values and questionable intentions live among us and in this country as a whole.
In its editorial of Jan. 1-2, 2022, the Mirror looked back on its editorial of Jan. 1, 2021, which focused on cautious optimism, saying:
"As America begins its trek through the '2021 Experience,' no one should be content with just shallow, general expressions of hope that the next 12 months will be better than the year just ended."
That thought holds true today regarding 2023. Back in 2021 -- and during the early months of 2022 -- Americans had the power to make a new year much better, even with the coronavirus present.
However, for myriad reasons, some of those reasons built on selfishness, greed, irresponsibility, self-indulgence and lack of concern for others, America did not better itself but, instead, weakened the fabric that for more than 240 years has held it together.
The coming year needs to be a year when mending of America's fabric must be the predominant priority, regardless of what elements seek to undermine its strength and very existence.
America must embrace a reinvigorated attitude that only by being united can this country attack effectively -- and declare victory over -- the problems confronting it.
Again, "ask not what 2023 can do for you; ask what you can do to help make 2023 a better year for yourself, your country and your fellow citizens," even those whose beliefs and opinions differ greatly from yours.
One element of strength that has existed throughout this nation's history has been its ability to accommodate divergent opinions. Unfortunately, that basic national building block has been under attack relentlessly for years, and that needs to cease.
While the world's criminal leaders need to be held in check during the coming year, America's political system needs to undergo an attitude shift built on positive intentions, rather than unproductive divisiveness.
Those qualifying as history's true statesmen did not acquire that status through "successes" in destruction of others but, instead, in how they brought people and nations together, despite absence of full agreement about the issues and problems before them.
Such bringing-together is necessary in this time of excessive uncertainty and exorbitant national friction.