Brevard County FL, Commission Meeting
20 July 2021
Keith Becher (256 words)

Good Morning and thank you for having me.

Thank you commissioners and staff for your commitment to governance. And thank you to all in attendance for participating as well.

To paraphrase Albert Einstein: “One knows that one exists for other people, upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness depends, and for the many unknown to us whose destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy. Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of others both living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give as much as I have received and am still receiving...”

As we begin today’s meeting let us embrace these words, for the things we accomplish and decide in this room will have a direct effect on all the people in this county and many more.

May we focus on the community at large and may we resist the temptation to make decisions through a zero -sum lens .

May we use our shared values of integrity, reason, and empathy as we search for equitable solutions to benefit all in our community.

May our actions here lift one another up and motivate all of us to step forward with kindness, and compassion not fear and hatred. For a community is only as strong as the disadvantaged among them.

May we remember this and let that guide us as we conduct the business of government in these chambers. And represent them in our daily lives as well.

Thank you