By BG INDEPENDENT NEWS
Between the last blast of “The Stars and Stripes Forever” and the first blast of Bowling Green’s fireworks display, BG Independent News roamed through the crowd Sunday night to ask people how they were feeling about the state of the United States during the celebration of its 240th birthday.
The responses ranged from upbeat to concerned, from pithy to expansive.
Here’s what we heard:
- Chip Myles, of Bowling Green, disputed the naysayers who paint a negative picture of the state of America on its 240th “I think we’re far better off than people realize. How many people can gather freely throughout the world, like we do?” he said. “Everything we hear is negative. The economy is not what it was, sure, but it’s still good.”
Myles did voice one complaint: Philanthropists focus some of their wealth on helping Americans in need. There is no need for people in America to go hungry. “I wish they would help some of our own here, they have so much.”
Thom Headley conducts the Bowling Green Area Community Band before the fireworks display Friday on the BGSU campus.
- David Hupp, a 1964 BGSU alumnus who lives in Sylvania and returned for Sunday’s fireworks, sees the nation at turning point. “I think we’re at a crossroads. We have two candidates that are running that both have a lot of negatives. One is certainly being supported by special interests. The other one only has his self-interests.”
One may need to be pardoned, and the other has no tact, he added. “One may take us to war and that scares me.”
The presidential election will be tough, but the nation will remain strong. “This country has survived much worse.”
- Curtis Bennett, of Kenton, gave the nation a solid “poor” rating and listed off the negatives. “The economy. You don’t make enough money to support your family. The crime rate has gone through the roof. And drugs have taken control,” said Bennett, whose wife has family in Portage. “When we were growing up, it took a community to raise a child.” Now many communities have lost their way. As proof, he said a spectator was stabbed during the fireworks he attended Saturday evening in Indian Lake. But Bennett isn’t giving up on the nation. “There’s always hope,” he said.
- Sandra DeSteno, of Bowling Green, is anxious as the nation prepares to elect a new president. “It’s a little scary going into the political season. I think we’ve made huge progress in the last couple years.” DeSteno has a lot at stake, since she just married her female partner last year and presidential candidate Donald Trump has made statements about revoking the right to same sex marriages. “It’s fear mongering. We need a place where we can be happy and not worry about who is president of the U.S.”
- Jack and Carol Ergo, of Saginaw, Michigan, are disheartened by the current political environment. “The first thing that comes to mind is the tragic silliness that is going on with the political stuff,” Jack Ergo said, listing off the name calling, attacks on Muslims and anti-Semitic statements.“It’s too partisan,” Carol Ergo said.“The big puzzle is, what the heck does he mean by returning to greatness,” Jack Ergo said of Donald Trump’s presidential slogan. Any return to past “greatness,” means that some section of the population gets hurt, he said.But the Ergos, who were in Bowling Green visiting family, retain hope for the nation. “You have to have hope,” Carol Ergo said.
- Zac Falls, of Bowling Green, sees the population as being torn between supporting the establishment or wanting something new. “I think that our country is at a pivotal stage where it needs to figure out where it needs to go. … Any responsible person would be worried about it.”
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- Mark Bradley, Bowling Green, said: “I feel pretty positive where we’re at. I think we’re in good shape. There’s a lot to be thankful about. I appreciate all the service of the veterans and the people in the military.”
- Guy Zimmerman, Bowling Green, said he felt “cautiously optimistic” about the direction of the country.
- James Bloom, Waterville, was also brief: “There’s always hope.”
- Joe White, Cygnet, U.S. Navy veteran, was clear on what he felt the nation needed: “We need to increase the military power that we have. Other nations are increasing and we’re depleting. We’re not the strong nation that we were.”
Brian Bushong plays a flugelhorn solo on “Stardust.”
- Sara Headley, Bowling Green, stood holding her three-month-old son, while her two other children, 4 and 6, begged her and her brother-in-law, Drew, to run off to play in the field. The future of those children is what shapes her view of the country. “I think it’s kind of scary and kind of wonderful. You hope you have a good place to raise children. That’s what I’m concerned about right now. I have three little ones.”
- Michael Wiedle, Sandusky, recently graduated from Bowling Green State University. “I think it’s definitely a very interesting time because we have an older generation kind of phasing out, and we have our generation, the millennials, coming into more roles of power and seeing the balance of that and how technology is shaping it.” Information is coming at people much more quickly. There are some latent issues present that need to be address.” But, he added, “we’re in a good place to address them.”
Then there was a young college age woman who when approached said: “I really don’t want to talk about it.” She felt the nation was on the brink of making a bad choice and didn’t want to ruin a fun night out with friends detailing her worries.
