Jacksonville is Full of Unsung Heroes and Volunteers – by Mayor Paul Becker

This movie inspired Mayor Becker's April column

in the early years of the “great depression.”  His character was that of a banker, who believed that by helping his borrowers and depositors, he was helping society at large.  Such a concept seems out of place in this world today, doesn’t it… yet it was a powerful performance in a powerful story.

Living as we do in a time of social malaise – front-page news of corruption, deceit, or worse, on the part of our elected officials, Wall Street corporations, big business, and even religious institutions –  how good it is to be able to look around in our little community and see people just like that bank president in the film.  They are there… they always have been.  You wouldn’t know it from the negative reporting on television or in the national press.  These organizations long ago decided bad news was good news.  Following in spirit, our national leaders have done the same thing… adopting the practice of demonizing those who disagree with them.  Big business has decided there is no such thing as too big, so the big fish swallow the smaller fish, thereby becoming even bigger.  The Bernie Madoffs seem to be in abundance wherever one looks, or so it would seem!  Well… there are far more benevolent and caring people than there are self-serving amoral individuals.  Call me a Frank Capra populist, but I know this to be true.

Here is our little town:  a retired attorney volunteering his time to help the city with no thought, or even hope of, financial gain… a businesswoman who donates her time to solving city needs with no thought of any possible gain for her business… a British import (or two) who work tirelessly in a different venue… a devoted couple who moved to another community but continue to volunteer in this one… just a few of the many who contribute their time, labor, and creativity in making Jacksonville the town we all want to live in.  It doesn’t put a nickel in their pockets and it doesn’t bring any awards of valor, but their efforts enrich all our lives, familiar faces and willing hands you won’t find on the front page of the national press or on Fox or on CNN.

I’ve mentioned our volunteers before, but given the sometimes harsh and strident tone of discourse in today’s world, it seemed worth repeating.   Considering the current view of things, one could almost make the claim that we’ve gone from “my country, right or wrong” to “my country, always wrong”.   Given the constant barrage of insults bordering on epithets toward one another issued by the people we send to Congress, it’s understandable that citizens would have a dour view of government… and it does no good to say that it was even worse in the past.  Previous generations didn’t have television pundits attempting to whip their listeners into a frenzy by never-ending twenty-four hour broadcasts designed to manipulate and divide us.

Sadly, the Frank Capra’s of Hollywood are no longer there to remind us of the good side of people.  Even if they were, the very idea of Mister Smith going to Washington and cleaning things up would be laughed at.  Some of us have grown too cynical or too mistrusting to believe in “fairy tales.”  Well… I’m sorry!  I know better!  How do I know?  Almost every day I see the local equivalent of Mister Smith come in to my office.  Yes, there are too many to name but they know who they are… and you should know they are here.