The horrific actions of Sept. 11 perverted Margaret Mead’s famous axiom, oft cited by U.S. community builders, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.” As Washington Post commentator Henry Allen wrote recently, the terrorists exhibited “competence, organization, political philosophy, strategy, tactics, and precision execution of the mission.” These very few men burrowed into American society, bided their time, and willingly sacrificed their lives in the course of murdering thousands.

Can we fight that kind of fire with a fire that could be more enduring, more effective, than that which is currently being marshaled with missiles, battleships, soldiers and bombs?

The United States is not only the arsenal of democracy, it is the hearth of democracy. This is why many nations genuinely mourned with us last week. The 300 million U.S. citizens alive today are the plainclothes keepers of the light of liberty and justice – for all. And we, as its frontline citizens, are just beginning to awaken to the fact that we are more than who we thought we were. We are more than ordinary mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, wives and husbands; we are more than consumers and credit card holders; we are more than retirees, bosses and employees; we are more than TV viewers, reporters and entertainers; we are more than commuters, secretaries, stock brokers, firefighters, flight attendants, tourists, and airplane passengers. We are more than family. At this moment in world history, we are the people who guard the flame of freedom.

Do not we, as ordinary people, have as great a right and duty to call the next shots as any sworn to protect us in the military or the highest levels of government? Have we not paid for this with the over 6000 civilians entombed in the rubble of the World Trade Center? While we turn to our national leaders for direction, we must also turn to ourselves, within our own communities and households, to provide leadership for those we have put in positions of power, either directly or indirectly.

What can we do here in Maine to provide direction and hope to those who grieve and those who lead? What can we offer our leaders, as they grapple with this unprecedented challenge? What can we offer our urban neighbors, as they begin to rebuild their lives and communities?

The state of Maine and its citizenry have a very real role in our nation’s recovery and renewal.

Most obviously, for more than a century, our state has been a refuge for urban dwellers. We can continue to fulfill that role by re-gearing and building up our tourism industry in the spirit of hospitality and peace. In our lightly populated, beautiful and large state, we offer recreation and refuge to those who are weary and heavy-laden.

The coastal peninsulas and islands, freshwater lakes, rivers, countryside and mountains of Maine have also attracted great reflective minds over the years: ministers and politicians, businesspeople and artists, deep thinkers. Some, within this past decade, have founded or support centers, institutes and programs designed to bolster the civic capacity of ordinary people, from the inside out and the bottom up.

Among these organizations are: The Institute for Civic Leadership in Portland, the Institute for Global Ethics in Camden, the Leadership Maine program of the Maine Development Foundation in Augusta, and the Center for Consensual Democracy in Brunswick. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service in Orono has also sponsored numerous valuable civic leadership programs. People in these organizations, and others, have been laboring in this vineyard for years and stand ready to assist communities that wish to become stronger, healthier, more alert, and more resourceful.

I believe we could accomplish much more in the years ahead if we deepen the work already started in this arena , by choosing, with deliberation and consensus, to work more closely together: by clarifying our common values and vision, establishing our highest common priorities, focusing our resources and pooling our time and talent.

If we work together, it is possible to strengthen communities in Maine and elsewhere in the country over time: building trust, tackling violence within our midst, meeting the forces of destruction, hate and death head-on, neighborhood by neighborhood, with the power of constructive action, mutual support, and compassion. Examples of social and economic problems to be combated include domestic violence, hate crimes, various addictions, and the insidious time bomb of poverty.

We could also assess, in very practical terms, the need to shore up our civil defense and emergency preparedness within each community, from reinstituting victory gardens and beefing up our local food production, to reacquainting ourselves with our neighbors – those who live next door, and those who live around the world.

This new world requires imagination. Can we imagine, reflect, and then act, in ways to become more active, alert and awake citizens? Would this make a difference? I believe the answer is an unqualified yes; that strengthening our local communities and citizens could be critical in combating terrorism. Moreover, it could strengthen our democracy in new, unprecedented, unpredictable and deeply meaningful ways.

Jennifer W. Kierstead is a co-founder of the Center for Consensual Democracy and president of Public Service Communications in Waterville. She can be contacted at mainejen@gwi.net.