Let’s go from ‘me’ to ‘we’ and reclaim values that made America great
Across America, quiet warning signs are getting louder. School absenteeism has surged. Marriage and birth rates have plummeted to historic lows. Fewer young adults are able to own homes. Mental health struggles — especially anxiety, depression and loneliness — are at epidemic levels.
These are not isolated problems. They are connected symptoms of a deeper fracture in our cultural foundation: the loss of connection, commitment and community.
Not long ago, we honored those who built, created, sacrificed and lifted others. We celebrated inventors, entrepreneurs, teachers, mothers and fathers. We didn’t expect perfection, but we respected perseverance. As Thomas Sowell observed, we have drifted into a time where we no longer count our blessings but instead our unfulfilled wishes. We honor the complainers and sue the creators.
This shift isn’t just unfortunate; it’s dangerous. Philosopher Sir Roger Scruton put it bluntly: “Our language, our music and our manners are increasingly raucous, self-centered and offensive, as though beauty and good taste have no real place in our lives.”
A society obsessed with “me” forgets how to build, how to serve and how to endure.
We can change that — by shifting our focus from “me” back to “we.”
Support strong families and hold children to high expectations
This is more than just rhetoric. It’s a return to the values that make our communities resilient and our future bright. When we choose “we,” we lift up the quiet heroes: the devoted father, the selfless teacher and the startup entrepreneur who stays in a small town to create jobs instead of chasing headlines. We honor merit — rewarding hard work, compassion and character.
That means supporting strong families, encouraging two-parent homes and, whenever possible, engaging grandparents — because both data and common sense tell us children thrive when surrounded by love, discipline and stability. It means rejecting the systemic bigotry of low expectations, especially for students with learning challenges, life hurdles or disabilities. Every child deserves to be believed in — not coddled or written off.
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us that “love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” That timeless truth speaks directly to our cultural moment, reminding us that healing doesn’t come from rage or revenge but from reconciliation and grace.
Likewise, American evangelist Billy Graham declared, “God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled and died, it was God saying to the world, ‘I love you.’” His words call us to emulate that same sacrificial love in how we treat our neighbors — not with judgment but with compassion and hope.
These words, from two leaders shaped by very different experiences, point to the same truth: Civility, selflessness and love of neighbor are essential for both personal redemption and national renewal.
For me, this lesson is personal. My father often said that when people are hurting, our job is to walk with them through the pain — not to avoid it — so they can rediscover hope and purpose. That’s the heart of “we,” showing up when it’s hard, not just when it’s easy.
Cynicism and narcissism have no place in a free society
We must reject a culture that teaches if you don’t get 100% of what you want, you walk away — whether from a job, a classroom, a faith or a marriage. Resilience has to be taught again. Strong marriages, strong businesses and strong governments are built not on perfection but on commitment.
This also means believing in our states and communities as incubators of innovation, not as perpetual wards of outdated federal programs. If we want to restore dignity and creativity, we must empower local solutions — and the people who create them.
Apathy, cynicism and narcissism have no place in a free society. Patriotism — real, hopeful, grateful patriotism — is not outdated. Loving your neighbor as yourself isn’t old-fashioned; it’s radical in the best possible way.
Here in Georgia, we see it every day. Families caring for one another. Neighbors organizing food drives. Volunteers coaching Little League and running local recreation programs. Church members visiting the sick. Citizens fighting to improve schools and parks. These are the habits of “we” that keep communities strong.
If we truly want America to be great, we must first make our families and communities strong. That begins by honoring virtue, not sneering at it. By celebrating those who build, serve and show up when it’s hard. By remembering that we rise together — not by demanding more but by giving more. The future will belong not to the loudest voices but to the strongest hearts.
Let’s make “we” matter again.
Georgia state Rep. Will Wade, R-Dawsonville, represents the residents of District 9, which includes portions of Dawson, Lumpkin and White counties. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2020 and currently serves as one of the governor’s floor leaders and as vice chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education Banks and Banking Committee. He also serves on the Education, Judiciary Juvenile, State Planning & Community Affairs and Transportation committees.
