Dear Editor:
Hundreds of years ago, our forefathers had dozens, hundreds or even thousands of complaints of their own. Complaints ranging from how the government was run, to how the church was run as well as complaints about their neighbors. However they had the will to get up and do something about it. They either fought in battles and wars or traveled thousands of miles so their families can plant their roots for generations to come. And of course if the need arose, they continued to fight for the future of their families. The root of all of this was sheer survival. This instinct to survive is what made this into a great nation.
Fast forwarding to modern times, many of these complaints remain similar in nature. The difference now is many complain from their couches, from their dinner tables or don’t even have the will to complain at all. Our instinct to not only better ourselves but to better this nation as a whole has become almost non-existent. We have become content with mere finger pointing and we have accepted the very things that we want changed without so much as a fight. Many excuse this with a simple: I don’t have time. Well, the city has found the time for years to raise your taxes, mismanage spending your tax dollars, watch the school system spiral downward and watch crime spike with no new and improved way to address any of these issues.
We as residents should no longer accept this and make the time just as the city has. This acceptance has doomed our children and grandchildren. And yet, this phases no one. The solution for many is to quietly move to another town. Sure, this solves the issue for a time. Unfortunately, complacency is a disease that no city, town or borough is immune from. At some point, we all need to take a stand for what we believe in. Many will ask, why should I? My answer is there is no one more in tune with the issues that bother you than yourself. Does it make sense for someone else to have that responsibility without any accountability?
In today’s technology age with smart phones, having time is as simple while on a walk to the train station sending an email or making a call to your local representatives. Smart phones allow for no more excuses. I have utilized this method for quite some time now and have in fact achieved results. Even with all of this new technology, there are still the tried and true methods of picking up a phone or a simple letter. It all amounts to the power to create change is right at the fingertips of each and every one of us.
Please join me in eliminating the enemy and changing Jersey City for the better once and for all.
John Hanussak