Editorial Roundup: Indiana

Terre Haute Tribune-Star. Jan. 1, 2021. Editorial: A year to rise toward recovery. Communities need good citizens to rally Just as 2020 will long be known as the year when things really fell apart, today is perfect day to pledge that 2021 will be the year when communities pulled it all back together. While there are troubled times ahead as COVID-19 swirls around us, vaccines are emerging, slowly but surely, that we trust will beat back the virus and return this country we love to a sense of normalcy. But America will need our help. Recovery for our communities will be something to which we all must be committed. Good citizenship will be needed more than ever. It has become customary in this space as a new year dawns to offer a litany of thoughts for the coming year with the emphasis on promoting an increased level of citizenship. A version of this editorial first appeared in 2014 and we’ve adapted it to apply in 2021. The message is timeless, although it carries increased urgency in these times. As we greet 2021, we offer these suggestions for making yourself a better citizen and in doing so helping our community recover from a very hard year. III As the calendar turns, resolutions for self-improvement are top-of-mind. Lose weight. Exercise. Eat healthy. Stop smoking. Think positive. Laugh more. Worry less. Etc., etc. Mostly, they’re personal goals, and good ones at that. We’d like to add another for your consideration: Become a better citizen. How does one do that? It’s easier than you think. You probably do it all the time, yet don’t think of it in terms of being a good citizen. But there may be more you can do that requires only that you engage in your community in a greater variety of ways, each of which contributes to enhanced quality of civic life for all. We offer the following resolutions from which to choose. Try a few. ‘¢ Donate blood. ‘¢ Drive safely, with an emphasis on construction zones. ‘¢ Attend a festival (once they resume from their COVID-19 layoffs). They contribute greatly to a community’s sense of place, pride and self-worth. And we’re going to need a lot of that to recover from the pandemic’s strain on communities. ‘¢ Volunteer. Plenty of good causes need your help. ‘¢ Make a contribution to a local charity, and not just during the holidays. ‘¢ Read your newspaper. Better yet, subscribe to your newspaper. Yes, we know this sounds self-serving, but let us explain. One key way to be more aware, involved and informed is to know what’s going on in your community and to apply this knowledge to your civic life. The best way to get that kind of knowledge is by reading a newspaper, which is widely believed to be the main source of vital information about government, business and public and private institutions that make up the foundation of every community. ‘¢ Use your local parks. They are beautiful places. ‘¢ Support community-based businesses. They need you. You need them. Now more than ever. They had a rough 2020. ‘¢ Take advantage of cultural opportunities, which will be abundant again when the public health crisis abates (and it will). Visit a museum. Attend a theatrical performance, a concert or the symphony. Venture onto a college campus for something other than a sporting event. ‘¢ Be a good neighbor. Mend fences. Build bridges. And, no, we don’t mean the structural kind. ‘¢ Embrace the community’s diversity. Scrutinize biases or prejudices you may hold toward others concerning politics, religion, race, age, gender or sexual orientation. ‘¢ Thank a veteran. When the opportunity arises, attend an event that salutes those who have served in the armed forces.