Civic Nebraska 
Reclaiming We [EPUB ebook] 
Twenty Everyday Acts to Strengthen the Common Good and Defend Democracy

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

Part One: Choose Community

Reclaim We. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Do Small Acts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Connect with Others. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Give Up the Right to Remain Silent ……17

Conversation Starters: Community . . . . . 22

Part Two: Choose Learning

Be Political . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Read……………………………….29

Empty Your Pockets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Argue Like an American . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Supplant the Media Slant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Reject Untruth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Conversation Starters: Learning . . . . . . . . 53 

Part Three: Choose Empowerment

Claim & Spread Civic Power. . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Be a Citizen, Not a Consumer . . . . . . . . . . 63

Focus Your Time, Talent & Treasure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Raise All Voices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Conversation Starters: Empowerment ……………………..76

Part Four: Choose Optimism

Envision a More Perfect Union . . . . . . . . .79

Spread the Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Be Patriotic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

Show Up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Fight for Voting Rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

Balance Hope and Conviction………. 98

Conversation Starters: Optimism. . . . . . 101

Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

Further Reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 

Steve Smith is an award-winning communicator, author, mentor, and community advocate. He wrote for and edited at newspapers for two decades and also was the University of Nebraska’s spokesman and news director from 2009-17. He is currently director of communications for Civic Nebraska. Smith is a national Civic Saturday Fellow with Citizen University and is co-chair of Leadership Lincoln Hot Topics, which gathers community members to wrestle with current issues. He and his family live in Lincoln.