In Western North Carolina lies the wreckage of the lies about the government: that the government is responsive, that the government is responsible, that the government will respond to the needs of the people, doing for them what they cannot do for themselves. In Western North Carolina lies the wreckage of the government’s failure to do anything but plead poverty. In the wreckage, however, lies an opportunity for citizens to change the role of government. This opportunity, the opportunity to restore accountability in government, starts with holding the people in government accountable for their actions. Now is also an opportune time to study the role of the citizen in relation to the government, which Mel K addresses in her new book, Americans Anonymous: Restoring Power to the People One Citizen at a Time.
The citizen is the book’s anonymous hero, in whom lies a power greater than the combined powers of the state: the power of conscience. This power transcends and precedes the state, originating from the highest power, for all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Mel K celebrates these rights, enjoining the reader to do likewise. She inspires the reader to perform the rites—the acts—that citizenship requires so as to keep our republic.
Duty is what we owe each other. The duty of caring for the communities in which we live, of creating and sustaining a common identity, of sharing a common purpose—this is the price of freedom. The duty of mutually pledging to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor—this is why we are free. Duty is what Mel K encourages us to do because we are Americans above all; we are patriots, not partisans; we are not enemies, but friends. Duty is what Mel K convinces us to do, so we may always be free.
Dignity is the reward that duty provides, a fact made plain in those communities in which security and liberty abound. Even in the absence of these things, especially when these things are absent, communities can still flourish. Look to the people of Western North Carolina, where honor is all that remains. Among these people, the worst conditions do not elicit the worst of the human condition; inhumane circumstances do not beget inhumane actions. This spirit informs more than a community. It informs the essence of Americans Anonymous.
As a call to action, Americans need not be anonymous. By reclaiming their communities, Americans shall not be anonymous. Works are the means by which citizens beautify their communities. More beautiful still is the work of the patriot who sees beyond the years, rejoicing in the words “America! America! God shed His grace on thee.”
MelK adds her own verse to this hymn, connecting us to our past and recommitting us to the good of our posterity. She does her duty to the fullest, with honor and courage. We would be wise to follow her example.
Loren Kalish is a writer and consultant. He is at work on a novel.