Question: How many Americans does it take to change a light bulb?

Answer: It takes 100. One to change the bulb and ninety-nine others to talk about how much better the old one was.

OK, I’ll admit that’s not a very funny joke.

But I’ve always been a big believer in the power of one. One person who sees a problem, an injustice, or a need and believes that they can do something to make things a little better. One person who can then motivate other individuals to work together to get things done.

It doesn’t have to be a big, grand gesture to improve things; it can be something simple like starting a GoFundMe page for someone in need or volunteering to head up the cookie drive for their daughter’s Girl Scout troop. Often these individuals don’t get a lot of publicity. Often, they don’t want a lot of publicity. They just want to solve a problem and see things improve.

One such person is my friend Rick Galusha.

I’ve known Rick for more years than I’d care to admit. Rick is a PhD who teaches Political Science at Bellevue University. Rick is one of those guys who tries to make a difference.

Back around 2015, when politics started to become really divisive, Rick came up with the idea of having a breakfast where liberals and conservatives could come together to have political discussions where we listened to each other instead of yelling at each other.

From that idea, the Free Speech Society was born. We continue to meet monthly on the third Saturday for lively conversations over coffee and donuts. Rick got Joe Sacco, Mike McDonald, Bob Atherton, Kerry Winterer, and me to help out each Saturday to keep the conversation going. We have a Facebook page. Check it out and then join us.

But Rick isn’t satisfied with that success. He has embarked on a new, rather ambitious mission to try to bring people together. And he calls it…

“Democracy… It Ain’t No Picnic”

Sunday, July 12th, at the Gene Leahy Mall, there will be a celebration of Democracy. There will be a variety of music from talented people like Grammy award winner Don Flemons, and Brian Farrow. They’ll even have a Barbershop Quartet.

They’ll have things like a proclamation signed by all living former Omaha mayors, both Republicans and Democrats, celebrating our freedoms.

They’ll have food trucks and information booths. You’ll be able to register to vote if you’re not registered already.

What they won’t have is a lot of politicians yelling at each other. There won’t be divisive chants and protests. This event is planned to celebrate America’s principles and optimistic spirit. It’s meant to show that good things can happen when people work together.

This was Rick’s idea. But he couldn’t do it alone. He got a bunch of other individuals to handle different aspects of the event. One person handles the publicity, one person donated the funds, another is organizing the venue, etc.

But it all starts with the power of one.

Will this picnic end the divisions we are bound to see before the November elections? No.

Does this picnic mean you have to give up your firmly held beliefs? Of course not.

But this picnic is geared to remind us that we are the UNITED States of America and  we can disagree without being disagreeable. It’s meant to show there was a time in our country when a person from the opposite party wasn’t the enemy. They were just other Americans with a different point of view.

July 12th is hoping to support the idea that “We the people” means all of us need to be involved to work together to make things work.

Democracy might not be a picnic, but on Sunday, July 12th, from 4-9 at the Gene Leahy Mall, we’re going to have a picnic to celebrate Democracy.

Bring your lawn chair or a blanket. Visit the food trucks. Listen to music. Talk to your neighbors and realize that we can accomplish great things when one person gets the ball rolling.

Question: How many Americans does it take to make this country work?

Answer: Each and every one of us.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.