When things are not going well, when there is disagreement or misunderstanding, it is the citizen’s duty to express it. Almost a year ago, I visited the capital city of Salem in the state of Oregon in the United States of America and witnessed what patriotism looks like in practice, that act of commitment embodied in one human being who is responsible and capable of turning a general desire into actions and clear results, without hesitation and without fatigue.

I had the honor of meeting the pioneer of life, Barbara Roberts, an American politician and the first female governor of the Oregon State Capitol. She was one of the first ten women governors elected in the United States of America. I didn’t meet her in her room, she personally gave 35 young leadership students a tour of the entire Capitol as part of an elective program at Portland State University. In particular, I had this experience through my exchange in the Young American Leaders Initiative (YLAI) program, which is supported by the United States Department of State.

With charisma and closeness, but also with exceptional intellect and kindness, Barbara quickly managed to impress us with her story, a life inspired by the very origin of her town. He referred to personalities who lived there, such as the sixth president of the United States, John Quincy Adams, from whom many of us are familiar with his line “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and be more, then you are a leader .” With sincerity and a broad smile, he told us about the challenges he overcame and the achievements he achieved in that leading position, and above all about the fact that a brilliant 86-year-old pensioner took us through that journey.That’s patriotism.

“Learn to use your voice… Anyone who abstains politically because they disagree with the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ options is incompetent.”

Some of us are comfortable thinking that the hard work has to be done by someone else, and others who are willing to sacrifice even the last quartile of their vital energy, we are all ultimately condemned to sail in a sea of ​​opposites, inequality, injustice and contradictions. These are They are reflected in the small personal actions and in the maximum expression of the place we all share, where individualities collide and disappear, that now almost unknown “common good”. Is it possible that in this intergenerational meeting, a woman who is already 87 years old has more hope for the “revival of the common good in common sense” than a young woman suffocated by constant news about a disastrous and uncertain future?

Before his words, I can assure you that it is, so I am relaying part of what he told us: “Act thinking that your decisions will affect the next seven generations. Learn to use your voice and say where you came from. Whoever abstains politically because of disagreement with the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ options is incompetent. In love and leadership, time is the most important.” With Barbara, I learned that wisdom does not expire, but above all, that the time to act will always be today; without unity, there is no renewal. (OR)