Four Generation of Services and a plea for Unity
Four Generations of Service — and a Plea for Unity
Our family story is one of service. Four generations have stepped up when called — to the military, to our communities, and to those in need.
My grandfather served his country in uniform. In France during WW I
My father did the same in World War II, working in radio intelligence.
I followed in their footsteps, training as a USAF medic and scrub tech, carrying those lessons forward into decades of community service.
Our children, both biological and adopted, carried on this tradition. One son works every day to keep struggling young people on the right path. Two others enlisted in the Army, completing their service despite the odds stacked against them.
We adopted three special-needs children because that was the right thing to do. One, born with a birth defect and was given only a short life expectancy. He lived to 36 because he had exactly the right set of parents: a mother who devoted her career to helping disabled children and a father who knew how to anticipate medical crises before they became emergencies.
The other two came to us as young siblings in crisis. Their first adoptive placement had collapsed in less than a month, and the social worker was desperate. We gave them a home — crowded though it was — and kept them on track long enough to graduate high school and serve honorably in the Army.
This is what service looks like. It is not glamorous. It is not easy. It is sacrifice, commitment, and persistence.
And yet, despite all this service, today we find ourselves being asked again and again for “just a little more.” Another donation, another subscription, another membership level to hear the voices fighting for democracy. The GOP has billionaires underwriting their agenda. Democrats, progressives, and those who still believe in democracy rely on ordinary families like mine. But here’s the truth: we do not have unlimited money.
Nickel-and-diming the very people who are already giving everything they can — their time, their energy, their service, and yes, their dollars — is shortsighted. What we need is a way to pool our resources efficiently. One contribution, one membership, one commitment — that supports the full fight against fascism and for democracy. Not a fragmented patchwork of paywalls and pledges.
Our family has served across four generations. We have given to our country, to our community, and to our children. We will continue to give what we can. But money does not grow on trees, and the voices fighting to save democracy cannot afford to lose the people who are already doing all they can.
It is time for those leading the fight to recognize this reality — and build a structure that values supporters not for how many times they can pay, but for how much they’ve already given.
ALWAYS VOTE DEMOCRAT! We might not always give you what you want. BUT WE WILL NOT TAKE AWAY WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE.