What if?

What if, long ago, there was a place where those oppressed by their government for things such as practicing religious freedom braved death at sea for life in a new world to begin again? What if these stout souls persevered long enough to form a civilized society, grow crops, build things, create commerce, and trade with the world? And what if the government they had escaped from realized their value in this far away colony and began to demand more in the way of taxes, and allowed less of the very freedom that the original pioneers crossed a large ocean by sail to achieve?

What if a small group of brilliant and brave people met secretly to plan a revolution to preserve their liberty that could not possibly succeed? And what if, as the minority in their own land, they raised an army and against all odds, defeated their oppressors, the most powerful nation in the world? And what if, in victory, these same men put their minds to creating a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” where an enduring bond of trust between the people and their government would finally be established?

What if, even at that moment, they anticipated the dangers ahead to their vision of a government “for the people?” What if they foresaw how this trust could deteriorate and once again result in a government that would fail to serve in a trustworthy manner?

What if, the most gifted of these men, who would personally author the greatest “declaration of independence” ever written at his desk on a farm in Virginia, also wrote time and again that the government must remain “rigorously frugal and simple” if this ideal of a government by the people would survive? And what if, this brilliant educator, statesman and writer knew enough about human nature to warn future generations that “Every government de-generates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone,” and that “the people themselves are its only safe depositories?”

What if, the first president of this great new nation, the towering General who had led the successful revolution against the tyrants, also warned of the dangers of lost public trust through partisan politicization and rampant self-interest in his farewell speech, saying, “It (political polarization and self-interest) agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection ... opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of (political) passions.”

And what if, over time, these warnings were all forgotten?

What if our schools stopped teaching the history and founding principles of this great nation, and generation after generation progressively lost sight of the essential ingredients of a government created in blood “of the people, by the people, and for the people?” What if American citizens educated in this system were no longer informed or engaged in the matters of the day?

What if governments large and small, and the public servants who administered and executed the functions of public service, also lost sight of the original vision in pursuit of self-interest and power? Or what if, many of these public servants became arrogant, corrupt, incompetent, apathetic, or complacent, without fear of losing their positions?

What if all these public servants no longer understood (or cared) about the foundation of our nation’s greatness, the Constitution and its guarantees of personal freedom, responsive government, and the rule of law, even though, before entering their offices and positions, they were required to take a solemn oath to preserve, protect and defend the same Constitution? What if the public servants forgot that the government works for the people it serves, and not the other way around?

And what if the same passions for freedom and honest government that led to the original revolution and establishment of this great nation began to flame once again in a restless and frustrated society who lost trust in those who were supposed to serve them?

But then, what if something odd happened?

What if, in the early years of the 21st century, a few individuals and organizations in public service heard the cry of a frustrated citizenry? What if, hearing this cry, these few rededicated themselves to their tasks, rethought their priorities, and responded with their selfless best?

And what if these few were successful, and the word spread of their success and the value of public service, and what if, those who heard came to understand and had a change of heart? What if the call from an assassinated president to “ask not what your country can do for you, but rather what you can do for your country” was heeded as a trumpet call to reengage?

And what if this trumpet call turned out to be reveille, and a sleepy frustrated nation awoke to its greatness?

What if, public servants began to really listen to the public they serve instead of trying to manipulate opinions, enrich themselves, impress their political masters, or hide failures? What if, when mistakes were made, public servants at all levels were fully transparent and honest? What if government bureaucrat became a term of personal and public pride?

What if, the citizens of our great nation sensed this change and reengaged on issues of the public good, even those that might interfere with their personal agendas?

What if, at the nadir of declining public trust in government – near the point of no return – we as Americans began to turn things around?

What if the bridge of trust between government and the people was rebuilt?

What would the future look like then as the sun broke through the clouds on a revitalized nation?

What if?