BY JOSH SCHOEMANN, WASHINGTON COUNTY EXECUTIVE
As a proud seventh-generation Washington County resident and a descendant of families who settled in Nenno, Wisconsin, in 1848 and 1849, I am living proof of the American dream. The original deed of one of these land contracts hangs on my office wall as a reminder of the hard work it has taken to provide me with the opportunity to pass the torch of liberty on to the next generation.
I learned as a boy the importance of neighbors and community, as my father served in churches throughout Wisconsin. My deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom as a young man was a sobering way to bring clarity of purpose and provide sharp contrast of place. My experiences there opened my eyes to the blessings of liberty secured in our Constitution and the rights endowed by our Creator – inspiring me to serve my community and love my neighbor.
READ MORE ESSAYS FROM OUR USA 250 FEATURE
The brilliance of the American experiment is the balance it brings to nature and mankind. The Declaration of Independence clearly defines unalienable rights as “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” and government as an instrument to secure them. This liberty is the balance between individual freedom and personal responsibility, and government is our shared project to achieve it.
Unfortunately, we find our nation in a time of imbalance. Some believe in every person for themselves, while others believe government should be all things to all people. In truth, we need each other, and government cannot fix what ails us. The solution is community and neighbors.
As imperfectly as we have secured these rights for one another over the last 250 years, we continue to strive toward our constitutional aspirations of continually pursuing “a more perfect union.” The American dream is alive and well for the next 250 if we rededicate ourselves to better calibrating this balance. Let us turn to our neighbors to start this noble work.
