By Alice Alviani/Family Piano

Waukegan, IL. – It is my – and many of my friend’s – personal mission to uplift and make the world a better place. Involvement and engagement are imperative to enjoying your life and improving your world. The more people who are engaged and involved, the better the world will become.
“The only thing needed for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing” applies to our time just as much as the era for which it was first written. Remember also that “a threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
If you are eligible to vote, for example, please vote every election. Too many people have been persecuted, tortured and killed to give you that right to vote. Never tell me that you’re too busy or it’s raining, and that somehow this removes your responsibility to vote for the candidate who will best serve our community, to the best of your knowledge on Election Day.
It boils my blood that some people even sell their sacred vote for money or cigarettes, like it’s some joke. Get accurate enough information about the candidates to make an informed decision before voting for each individual. No longer can we automatically trust that the major parties have chosen wisely. And they all say their “Christian” or whatever else you want to hear to make you agree with their agendas.
Even after the elections, stay in contact with your elected officials, even if you voted for the other candidate. No one knows who you voted for, unless you tell them. Stay informed about issues they are voting on, and call or email them your opinions often. If officials only hear from the special interests, it is easy for them to justify satisfying only the special interests. They need to hear from you!
Likewise, be involved in your children’s school. Ask the teachers how you can help out. Trust me, they will welcome you with an important job that will fit you perfectly! It is very satisfying to see the difference you are making, and it raises your whole family’s reputation with all the people who know you.
Abraham Lincoln said, “Every man who ever amounted to anything took full responsibility for his own education.” You are directly improving the chances of success for your children and all their classmates through skills they learn, but more importantly, you are sending a very powerful example to them that education and involvement are important and valuable.
Consider involvement with Scouts, sports, music, church and similar youth activities with your kids, and learn to become a leader. Yes, you. No one is born a leader, so all must learn, despite the inconvenience and initial awkwardness. You may not be the best leader, especially at first, but others in the organization will help you improve – and you are there, which your kids will remember forever! You will benefit more than you can imagine by learning to lead.

Read the article in the latest edition of Puro Futbol Newspaper. You can find it in your nearest restaurant, bakery, supermarket, laundromat, school, and court.