With this article, I’ll follow up on my last article about Rochelle.

So, what makes a great city? The citizens in it, of course. In Rochelle, like many other cities, it is the diversity of its citizens that makes it special. Whether it’s the people that own, run, cook and serve the clientele in our restaurants, or the people that own and carry out the work or services in our other businesses, it seems like the right people are in the right place at the moment.

Some would have you think that this diversity is bad. It is not what is wanted in this country.

Do you agree? Are we shallow enough to think that we can get along without a diverse citizenship?

When it comes to Rochelle, I think we would have difficulty trying to get along without it. In fact, this country, with its many types of immigrants, would have extreme difficulty trying to get along without diversity.

Whether we want to admit it or not, certain groups of people occasionally do much better in certain occupations. This does not mean that any individual is meant to be in any one specific circumstance and in no other. It just means that they happen to like what they are doing at the present time. And they can make money by doing it better than most others could. They may not stay in a specific profession forever. But this is the American way. Improve, improve, improve.

So, to me, Rochelle’s diversity is special. It is what makes us strong, connected and very stable. It is what I enjoy each time I come into the city to shop, eat, have fun, exercise or sightsee.

To really enjoy the diversity, however, I start up conversations with our residents. We exchange information on our backgrounds and our views. In very few situations, I may also discuss politics or religion. Since these can be trigger points, however, I keep the discussions minimal, and general.

What else does our city, and every other city in the world, have? Neighbors. Neighbors in close towns and cities. Neighbors in what are called sister cities.

The most important, however, are your next-door neighbors, or those in your city of residence. I personally feel that these people need to be treated as neighbors for us to stay connected. These connections are very important to our well-being, and our safety. Especially now that there are so many people doing so much harm.

For instance, what would you do if ICE came to town and started rounding up your favorite restaurant cooks or waitresses or even owners? How about at almost any other business? If you were at the scene, would you stand between ICE and their targets? Even when you are not sure whether they are illegal or citizens? Would you ask those ICE people who are probably targeting them because they look one way or another, if they have a warrant? Maybe, ask them for credentials which they have a habit of hiding? How about asking if they would reveal themselves if they were wearing a mask? Would you be willing to have ICE arrest you for doing any of these things?

I have always been taught to love your neighbors. Doing these things to prevent someone from being taken illegally is an act of love. It is, in my opinion, something that must be done. In today’s environment, we can no longer sit around while others are hurt. This is not possible if you truly feel as I do. That this city’s residents, and the people around you, are truly your neighbors. This country is based on laws that should prevent this, and if they don’t, then it is up to us.

In the grand scheme of things, we are on this planet for a fleeting moment. After that, whether we feel we are religious or not, most of us feel there is something else. If there is a moral factor in determining what we do when we are gone, are we willing to roll the dice? What about those smiles we get when we do something good? Don’t we want to experience them? Don’t we want to enjoy them until we are gone, not until they are gone?

How about when we donate if we have that ability? We don’t see smiles. We don’t necessarily get thanks. But we still feel good. At least we should. So, does this mean we are going to stand up to these people that want to disrupt our lives? Does this mean we do love our neighbors? Of course we do. Deep down inside, even when we are afraid, we know what is right and how to love.

It’s no different for our military. Whether it be the National Guard or other troops, we don’t need them here or any other place in this country. At least for this type of operation. Do you feel that these people of service feel as we do? They know we don’t want them here. They know this from the moment they are called up. They are our neighbors and know of our pain. They expect to be stood up to. They wouldn’t expect anything less.

I love Rochelle. I love each resident. I love our troops. If anything happens to any one of us, will you stand with me? Will you give of yourself? That’s in the big picture. I’m sure that in everyday activities, we help our neighbors in need. Why, because we love them. Because we need them and they need us. And when that day comes when we are no longer here, we can know that we will go to a place of pure love. To those who have left before. Yes, and to help, in a different way, those that are yet to come.

Reed Harris is a longtime Rochelle resident and community volunteer.