In this article, the author describes the Memorial Day ceremony in Streator, Illinois, population 17,000. Streator, like so many other mid-sized cities, has strong military connections, including producing a Medal of Honor winner. But it's the sense of community that makes Streator so special. The author quotes Russell Kirk who described the unique spirit of community in small cities this way:
"Although Americans have been attached strongly to privacy and private rights, they also have been a people conspicuous for a successful spirit of community. In a genuine community, the decisions most directly affecting the lives of citizens are made locally and voluntarily. Some of these functions are carried out by local political bodies, others by private associations: so long as they are kept local, and are marked by the general agreement of those affected, they constitute healthy community."
And so Streator and other similar cities remember their past...and look to the future.
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