Go Out And Do It! by Ted Koppel

Ted Koppel - News Anchor

What is great about our system of law and government is precisely its focus on the rights and obligations of the individual. There is in our system a touching faith in the power of one man, one woman to make a difference, and in each individual’s right to challenge what are, after all, only the symbols of our greatness. Burn a flag and you’ve simply destroyed a piece of paper or cloth that can easily be replaced. Deny the right to burn that flag and you have destroyed something irreplaceable.

We will not change what’s wrong with our culture through legislation, or by choosing up sides on the basis of personal popularity or party affiliation. We will change it by small acts of courage and kindness; by recognizing, each of us, his or her own obligation to set a proper example.

Aspire to decency. Practice civility toward one another. Admire and emulate ethical behavior wherever you find it. Apply a rigid standard of morality to your lives; and if, periodically, you fail – as you surely will – adjust your lives, not the standards.

There’s no mystery here. You know what to do. Now go out and do it!