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Chris Rector of Thomaston is a former state lawmaker and town selectman.
As America celebrates its 250th birthday, I find myself thinking about the people who made this milestone possible, and what it means for our country.
For 250 years, ordinary Americans have built this country one act of service at a time. They started businesses, volunteered in their communities, raised families, served in uniform, coached Little League, attended town meetings, exercised their right to vote, and stepped forward when something needed fixing.
That’s the America I’ve been fortunate to know.
My father understood that America better than anyone. He served during World War II in both the Pacific and the Mediterranean. When he came home, he built a small business, raised a family, and stayed deeply involved in our church and community.
He taught me that democracy isn’t something to admire from a distance. Rather, it is something you actively participate in. Voting wasn’t simply a privilege, it was a responsibility. Every person’s voice mattered, and every citizen had a role to play.
Those lessons shaped the course of my life.
After college, my wife, Betsy, and I settled in Maine and built a number of small businesses together. Out of all our ventures, our neighborhood ice cream shop was my favorite. Not because of the ice cream, but because of the people and the community we built. We hired young people for their first jobs, trusted them with real responsibility, and watched them grow into confident leaders. Seeing them discover what they were capable of was every bit as rewarding as running the business itself.
Eventually, that same desire to serve my community led me into public office.
Throughout my years in the Maine Legislature and later, on my town’s select board, I learned that one principle matters above all else: civility.
You don’t have to agree with someone to respect them. In fact, democracy depends on our ability to hear voices different from our own. When civility disappears, people stop listening. When people stop listening, communities stop solving problems together.
America already agrees on so much more than we realize. In fact, according to a national survey conducted by LSG, an impact agency in Washington, D.C., 96% of Americans believe treating everyone equally regardless of background is important. We can start there. That same survey found that 96% of Americans believe voting in elections is central to being an American. So, as we commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, I hope we celebrate more than our past. I hope we honor those who came before us by participating in our own communities today.
I do encourage everyone to take it a step further. Volunteer with a local organization. Attend a town meeting. Mentor a young person. Listen before you speak. Find ways to contribute that make your community stronger. Those may seem like small acts, but they’re the reason America has endured for 250 years.
My father believed democracy was a gift. I believe it’s also an inheritance; one that each generation has the privilege and responsibility to protect. If we continue showing up for our neighbors and our communities, then I have every confidence that America’s next 250 years will be even stronger than its first.
