I’m guessing that like me, you are wondering what happened to the country in which you were born, and in my case, the country I swore for 26 years to “support and defend against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Our land of the free and home of the brave is under daily assault, from children being ripped out of their parents arms, to our dropping out of the United Nations Human Rights Council, (joining Iran and Eritrea as non-members), to insulting our allies while embracing evil dictators. Yes, we are on a bad trajectory. The question is, what can we do about it?

During my 26 years of Air Force service, I learned the keys to success were to take care of my people and stay focused on the mission. As then, the mission remains the preservation of our democracy and in my opinion, the road that leads to that end runs straight through a place called personal responsibility. Each of us has a responsibility toward each other, then toward the good of our communities, our state, and our nation. We do this, as Gandhi advocated, by being “the change we want to see.” This starts with each of us treating others the way we’d like to be treated, or even better, the way they’d like to be treated.

We also have a responsibility to participate in our democracy. That’s why I am working so hard to be your Representative in Phoenix. I may not be able to fix the dysfunction in D.C., but I can ensure better representation for the people of LD 11. I can work toward true fiscal responsibility, more ethical governance, and a focus on people over profit.

The problems facing our country didn’t happen overnight and won’t be solved quickly. We can begin to turn the tide by being diligent, steadfast, and focused. My focus is, first, on making our state a place we can all be proud to call home. That, I believe, is the surest route back.