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Here's an idea: Count your American blessings

During this holiday season, I urge you to take some time away from your busy schedule to contemplate how lucky you are to live in this country.

More than 200 years ago, the greatest minds in our land came together to forge a country out of the philosophical idea that all men are created equal with each of us possessing the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Our Founding Fathers realized that in order to protect those rights, they created a government designed to serve us.

Throughout our history, there have been periods of time when our greatest minds were attracted to causes or events of the day. The American Revolution gave us Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. The Industrial Revolution gave us John D. Rockefeller and Thomas Edison. The Civil Rights Movement gave us Martin Luther King and Betty Friedan.

All of these people made our lives and country better. They were driven by either profit or to end abuses for the common good. For that, we should be thankful.

A cause I would like to see our greatest minds focus on would be to drastically decrease man's contribution to climate change. I propose the government offer a financial reward for anyone that can create a viable, cheap alternative fuel. This is not a new idea. In 1714, the British government offered a reward to anyone who could accurately determine the proper position of longitude to help guide their ships.

I would also like to see the government hire teams of specialists to work together to solve this problem, similar to the Manhattan Project.

This is the best way our government can serve us. We are a very intelligent country and should utilize our best minds and resources to solve this problem before it's too late.

Bill Scully

Hoffman Estates

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