On the recordJanuary 30, 2013
in my home State of Kansas, there are hundreds of small communities that line the highways and county roads that stretch across the prairie part of the country. In many of these towns, the populations are shrinking, but they are still called home by thousands of Kansans. I grew up in one of those small communities out in western Kansas, a place where folks know their neighbors and they try to take care of them. Much of what I know about people, about human nature, is what I learned by growing up in a small town where we all knew each other. I worked at the local hardware store, swimming pool, the drugstore, and I had a paper route and got to meet almost everybody in my hometown. In these small communities across America, the people work hard, they come together to find commonsense solutions, and they solve problems. They try to make a difference in the lives of their families and the community. They also strive to provide a better future for their kids so that every child has the opportunity to grow up, pursue the American dream, and reach their goals. For rural communities to survive and prosper, citizens have to work together to create their own opportunities for success. What happens here in Washington, DC, has a huge consequence on the future of rural communities in my State.…
Source
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