Return to older, better ways

By Katherine L. Avila -- Longtime Modesto resident Katherine L. Avila shares her thoughts on how our community has changed — and what needs to happen to turn things around. An excerpt appears here and the full essay is available at www.modbee.com/opinion under the Community Voices heading.

Some of us living in Modesto have been here a long time. We remember how it was when few locked the door to their cars or houses during the day. There was no TV and no sleaze on the radio — just "Our Gal Sunday," "Stella Dallas" and "Just Plain Bill," favorite soap operas, and once in awhile an over-the-edge comment by Arthur Godfrey.

Even the poorest among us kept a decent yard, took pride in a small victory garden out back and raised kids to respect their elders. Teachers were revered and the principal was God. The men in the family went off to war when the draft called. No one complained. We were of one mind, just proud and grateful to be Americans and citizens of Modesto.

How things have changed. Once called All-American City, Modesto now bears the distinction of being one of the less desirable places in the country to live.What in God's name happened to this city? We should be afraid, very afraid of a future overshadowed by a lack of patriotism and love of country, where anything decent and moral and godly is trivialized, mocked and profaned in every imaginable way.

We are going to have to get lean and limber again if we are going to survive. Most of the world is already beginning to think we are going to expire, that like Samson of Old Testament fame, our head has been shaved and we've lost our power.

We still have time. Everything we need to make Modesto the city it needs to be now is here. The inspiration can be found in the Pledge of Allegiance. It won't be easy. But we are in the fight of our lives. We need to get started.

If you feel you have an essay to share about our community or region, submit it to Opinions pages editor Judy Sly at jsly@modbee.com. The Bee does not pay for these articles and does require a signed release form.