My name is Doug Devos, and the first thing I want to assure you is this is not an Amway advertisement. That video had a lot of powerful commentary. My dad had a wonderful way of sharing words like that. I want to thank you all for being here. Let me explain why we're here. We've had meetings about America250 and GR175 and how it's come together. My partner, Mayor David La Grande, and I have had a wonderful time hosted at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. We wanted to shake things up, create a different atmosphere because it's time to launch us in a new way and say this is real now, important now. We wanted to include you, the steering committee, subcommittee members, and others in the community. We need to engage you. So what we're talking about is GR250, but why is how to engage you and more people in our community to think about these ideas, to commit to action to make our community better, building on the principles from our country's founding that we've failed to always live up to. But we can be better, more perfect as a country and a city. Yesterday I was at the US Naval Academy. I learned two things: never come in second in a naval battle, and that our navy is prepared to be the away team since most wars are fought overseas. It's easy for us to get comfortable. As we celebrate this anniversary, it's not a birthday party. It's an opportunity for deep reflection: What are we going to do today to make the next 250 years better? That's what Joe was talking about. Challenge ourselves to recognize how blessed we are. Years ago, my father met Admiral Bill Owen, the admiral of the Atlantic Fleet. After the Cold War, he sailed into the Black Sea to Romania. He came ashore and found an old man holding onto the boat. The man said, "I'm an old man now. My friends and family are dead. But when I saw those ships and that flag, I had to touch this boat just to make sure it was real. I've been waiting 40 years for you to come back." What does this flag, this country mean to people around the world? It's easy to forget because we experience it daily. But our country is as fragile as every civilization before. You saw that in the video. I used ChatGPT to check: ancient Egypt 2,500 years, Mesopotamia 3,000, Rome 500, Ottomans 700, Mayans 600. What do they all have in common? They're gone. What happened? Internal strife, corruption, civil war, economy stopped working, drought, famine, failure to adapt, invasion, conquest. Not a good recipe at 250 years. It's easy to think this goes on forever. My father said, "A great tradition can be inherited, but greatness itself must be won by each of us." We sit here without wars on our shores, enjoying prosperity. But will it last forever? Risks include political polarization, division, unequal opportunity. There's work to do. How do we stay strong? Can the US fail? Yes, the same way the unsinkable Titanic could sink. What are we going to do? I want to paint a positive picture. This is an opportunity to get involved. Not just one celebration or birthday party, but our lifetime. Let's use this time to engage ourselves, our families, neighborhoods, communities, city, state, and country to be better. I've traveled the world; people see America as the most successful country ever, but it's like being way ahead in a sporting event early in the game. Maybe the Egyptians thought that at 250. A lot can happen. Look at Grand Rapids—what this city has become. It won't continue by itself. It takes work. Our secret sauce is the Declaration, the Constitution, the aspirational goal. But the real secret sauce is you and your neighbor, the American people, Grand Rapidians. In our family business, we believe when given an opportunity, people will grab the ball. It's easy to complain, but how do you get in the game? Like the joke: a man prayed to win the lottery, and a voice said, "Buy a ticket." How do we get engaged? Years ago, my father spoke to graduates in a tough economy. Others said it was bad out there, but my dad said, "Don't listen to them. Doesn't matter if it's a good time or a bad time. It's the only time you have." So as Joe says, it's good to be alive, to be here, to have these opportunities. In my case, it's good to have a partner and friend on this journey. I'd like to introduce our mayor, David La Grande.
