A leadership quality of George Washington that is underappreciated is his willingness to embrace new ideas. While built upon classical ideals, the concept of democracy was very different from the monarchies of the eighteenth century. For my children, the lesson is that true leaders recognize good ideas and adopt them. Whether in school or work or in politics, it is easier to maintain the status quo. However, a real leader is a pioneer who adopts a good idea, then brings other people along to support that idea as well.
A leader also recognizes opportunity and seizes the moment. Imagine, during the demands of the Civil War, President Lincoln signed into law legislation that established land-grant colleges. Anyone who has gone to the University of Minnesota, the University of Wisconsin at Madison or dozens of other land-grant colleges has President Lincoln to thank. For my children, the lesson is: in the midst of the demands and immediacy of the present, recognize and seize opportunity, however unexpected.
A final leadership quality displayed by both Washington and Lincoln is humility. Confident in his abilities, Lincoln was not afraid to create a cabinet of his rivals whose previous achievements and egos easily outsized his and he benefited from their talents. Washington could have become King of the United State of America, but he declined. His act of humility, his willingness to act for the ages and not for the moment benefits each and every one of us to this day.
So for my children, although school is out of session, the learning continues. Be a leader: embrace new ideas, recognize opportunity, and be humble.
Chris Knopf
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After graduating from college, Roger joined the Air Force in 1954 and spent 20 years in military service. In Vietnam, Roger flew the F-4 Phantom on bombing missions. He also directed bombing missions with an Army combat unit that suffered over 80 percent casualties.
Roger is gentle man and I have never heard him raise his voice. He is a fighter pilot who conveys a calm sense of duty. After the war, Roger was a mailman until his retirement.
This past week, my daughter interviewed Roger for one of her high-school classes. When asked what was the lasting impact of the war on him, Roger replied that he was left with a strong feeling of what a great country we have. On the other hand, he feels that one of the lasting impacts of the Vietnam War on our country is our loss of idealism and the rise of narrow self-interest.
The values of my Uncle Roger - citizenship combined with duty, idealism coupled with service - transcend time, place, and politics. Whatever the future may hold for my daughter, I hope that she learns the importance of these values.
Chris Knopf
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As Americans, we are proud of our rugged individualism and sense of shared community values. "Don't Tread on Me" is part of the character of America as is "E pluribus unum" -- "Out of many, one." The tension between these values was present at the birth of our country and extends to present-day debates.
The United States is a country of limited government. A healthy skepticism about government is necessary. Nonetheless, government is an essential part of the civic fabric of our country. Calibrating the proper balance between individualism and social responsibility is not an easy one. Good government is more art than science. Understood as such, our national park system is a masterpiece of civic engagement.
Our national parks provide a public good that could never be delivered in the private marketplace as effectively or as broadly. To be sure, Walt Disney, other theme parks, and water parks provide recreation. To be sure, private nonprofit organizations also conserve natural resource and provide nature education. However, the Walt Disneys of the world function differently and are not available to everyone. Our national parks are egalitarian ? they are available to the rich, the poor, and the middle class. Our national parks are the very embodiment of the motto, "Out of many, one."
In recent decades, there has been an erosion of confidence in the ability of government to serve the public. "Government is not the solution to our problem. It is the problem," is a statement uttered by Ronald Reagan and echoed by many conservatives. The anti-war protestors of the left of the 1960s and 1970s also attacked the ability of government to serve the public. The end result of this decades-long assault is a deep cynicism about government that goes beyond a reasonable skepticism that keeps government from overstepping its proper bounds. It is an acid that erodes the foundation of good and effective government.
Our national park system is a bold and grand American experiment that has worked and been adopted around the world. Our national parks project a forward-thinking vision and confidence in government. The values embodied in our national parks - civic purpose and public good - are timeless and provide important lessons for today. We should reflect on these values and consider where future "America's best ideas" may come from.
Chris Knopf
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Chris Knopf
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WHITE BEAR TOWNSHIP — Walking across Highway 96 was never a big concern for me. I can dodge cars and run when I have to. Now that I have a 3-year-old, crossing the street is a big deal.
Highway 96 will be resurfaced this summer and I think that brings a perfect opportunity to fix a couple of the bad crosswalks. The lake is why we live in White Bear Lake. Getting to the lake should not be dangerous.
Chris Knopf has offered some very clever and innovative ideas for fixing crosswalks. I hope the city and Minnesota Department of Transportation take his ideas into consideration. Chris will be very effective as our next state representative.
Chad Amundson