Happy New Year everyone! We are entering an election year. And what a year it will be – hang on to your hats, because it is up to us to decide what path the United States is going to take. It was once said that when the world is turned upside down, we seem to produce the strongest leaders. Do you think that is true? Let us look back at our country’s history. We had won a Revolutionary War with Great Britain and the Thirteen Colonies beat the British Empire. It was unheard of, but we did it. George Washington, a leader of strength, rose up and led the country to victory. Then, he accepted the job of President of the United States. After the war this country was broken. We hardly had an Army or a Navy, yet instead of throwing up his hands and walking away, Washington was looking ahead to making the Colonies into a nation. During the American Civil War we had President Lincoln – no matter how many battles the Union lost, he still believed that our country would come back together and be a great nation. In his Gettysburg Address, a powerful three minute speech, he said, “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.” Lincoln never gave up no matter how dire the situation became. He was a man of steel. When it was time for us to be recognized as a great power it took President Theodore Roosevelt to bring us to the forefront. He was often called a bully, but his famous slogan summed it up: “Walk softly and carry a big stick.” And we did! With the Great Depression and World War II looming, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) picked up the reins for four terms and let the United States know that during hard times, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!” Strong words and a strong man to run a troubled country from 1932 until his death in 1945. After him, President Harry Truman was handed the job of ending the war with Japan and fighting the War in Korea. His famous slogan was “Do your best, history will do the rest,” and a plaque on his desk boldly stated, “The Buck Stops Here!” What do all these great men have in common? They were all voted into office during hard times. No matter how hard the choices are, it is up to us to pick our leaders. If we all do our homework and think smart, we shall keep America strong. Every vote counts, so do your duty for your country. May God bless America and may 2024 be a better year for all of us.