This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
When I heard the news on my car radio that President Barack Obama declared parts of Oklahoma a major disaster area, making available federal disaster relief funds, I wasn't surprised. But no matter how expected, the action made me proud of the United States of America.
I thought of patriotic phrases to articulate what I felt: How we're one nation, indivisible. How this social security, where we're all in this together, really makes us a nation by, of and for the people.
Imagine if the Salt Lake Valley were hit by a devastating earthquake. Now, imagine rebuilding with federal help paid by all other Americans. God bless America!
Then imagine if Utah were its own country. Consider how hard it would be to rebuild, broken and alone.
America's size and unity and compassion make us strong. Those who would dismantle the federal government in favor of states' rights would make us all poorer and weaker.
Neil Jackson
Park City