CIVIC-MINDED
Word of the Week for 2/17/2020 by Carson Waters, GMC Prep Cadet
Community unification is often the factor which differentiates between flourishing and struggling individuals within cities across the United States. While we are blessed to live in the wonderful community of Milledgeville, not all cities are as tight knit as our own. The beginnings of close communities, like Baldwin county’s, span from the direct results of civic-minded individuals who enacted changes throughout American history. However, what does it even mean to be a “civic-minded” person? Being civic-minded goes beyond just caring about the general welfare of others; rather, a civic-minded person will express care for and perform actions that show concern for humanity, starting at the community level and rising all the way up to national concerns.
Perhaps the most famous civic-minded American, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is the epitome of caring about one’s country and fellow citizens. King was instrumental in the 1960’s Civil Rights movement, eventually being largely responsible for rallying communities together to achieve the present-day integration between races. Nevertheless, it doesn’t take a once in a lifetime leader like Dr. King to display civic-mindedness. Take Mayor Mary Parham-Copelan, the Mayor of Milledgeville. She is not only the mayor, but also a CEO, pastor, and sits on multiple Georgia legislative boards. King, Parham-Copelan, and the countless other civic-minded Americans all have one combining factor: they make their communities better places to live in by doing their best to contribute to the greater good.
Civic-mindedness is one of the most important qualities of human personality that great leaders incorporate fully into their character virtues. Thankfully, a civic-minded approach can be successfully incorporated into nearly anyone’s perspective by pushing oneself to do their public duties like voting. Without the great civic leaders in our country, there would be extreme deficiencies in the vital public servant positions such as policemen, firemen, and even politicians. In other words, those caring individuals allow our country to keep functioning. Civic-minded individuals, specifically those who genuinely care about their communities and nation, allow our country to continue staying the best in the world.
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