To follow is the full introduction to the book 
100 Ways to Strengthen & Unify Our Country by Jenniffer Lee.

© 2001 by Jenniffer Lee. All rights reserved.

During this stressful time following the horrific events of September 11, 2001, which has caused dramatic changes in our country and in the lives of most Americans, I have asked myself over and over again, "What can I do to help my country and my fellow Americans?" Writing this book is my attempt to do something positive.

I have listed 100 ways to strengthen and unify our country. Obviously, it is doubtful that anyone can actively participate in all 100 ways, but we can all do at least one of them. Some of them are things I do on a regular basis, and some are things I know I should do, but don't, for one reason or another. There are probably a few hundred more ways to strengthen and unify our country, I have thought of more myself, but these 100 provide enough ways in which we can start.

Some of the ways to strengthen and unify our country are internal and spiritual. They are ways to rebuild our goodness and tolerance as individuals, ways to rebuild our inner spirit, which others have tried to crush. Some are ways to build our own personal strengths and abilities. I believe this strengthens our country as our country is comprised of individuals. The stronger each individual is, the stronger our country is as a whole, as our country is made up of a multitude of individuals, each making a unique and special contribution to the whole.

Some of the ways to strengthen and unify our country are to build a sense of community. The stronger our ties with other members of our community are, the stronger our country is. We build unity by building bridges over our differences, through tolerance, and linking our similarities together. We need to bridge the gaps between us, just like bridges link together the islands of the Florida Keys, joining them to the rest of our country. We need to learn to embrace our differences and seek out our similarities, to unify our country as one group above all. We must all be Americans first. We must build bridges between us. I call these the bridges of friendship. And, the only way to build these bridges of friendship is to reach out to new people, of all walks of life, all religions, all races, all ages, etc., and really get to know them, to create a bond of friendship with them, and a sense of community. They are our fellow Americans.

Some of the ways to strengthen and unify our country are to assist charitable organizations that focus on specific weaknesses in need of strengthening, build the skills of those around us, and work one-on-one to help each member of our community become stronger in any way possible. Our country as a whole is strengthened each time a member of the community grows stronger and develops new skills. We must work together to help every American be as strong and as skilled as possible. This also builds what I call the bridges of giving and receiving. We can all be linked together merely by being givers and receivers.

Some of the ways to strengthen and unify our country are to redevelop common courtesy, decency, and politeness. When we are kind and courteous to one another, we automatically strengthen and unify our country, as we are all tied together by a general feeling of goodwill.

And finally, some of the ways to strengthen and unify our country are to develop and display our patriotism. They are ways to learn about America and show pride in being an American. They are ways to learn about and remember the past, participate in the present, and develop our future as a strong and unified country.

These ways to strengthen and unify our country are not listed in any particular order. They are not in order of importance nor arranged in any other way.

My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones in this enormous tragedy and to those who will suffer in the days ahead as a result. To all of them, I extend my deepest condolences.

Let us try to bring some good out of this tragedy by coming together as one nation, working together to revive the American Dream and unify our people and our country to become stronger than we ever were before. Let us bring triumph out of tragedy, so the many lives lost are not in vain, but instead have a purpose, that purpose being to strengthen and unify our country.

I have seen many changes in the spirit and actions of the American people since September 11th. I hope that this newly found unity and spirit will not wear off over time, but will continue to grow forever, as a living tribute to those who are now gone.

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