Editor’s note: Boyd Mayor Rodney Holmes addressed attendees at the Patriot Day memorial last week at Aurora City Hall, which fell one day after the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk in Utah Sept. 10. Below is a transcript of the mayor’s remarks.
Boyd Mayor Rodney Holmes
My fellow patriots, look around you. See the faces of your neighbors, friends and those you might not know yet. Each person here adds a thread to the fabric of our community. A single thread breaks easily, but connected together, these threads create something strong, lasting and beautiful.
Drive around any city or neighborhood in Wise County. You’ll find homes — not houses — built by people working together. You’ll find businesses that grow because customers and owners trust each other. None of these things would exist without unity.
Many great achievements show this truth. Our great republic would not exist today without our Founding Fathers, who came from many different backgrounds and beliefs, finding a way to work together for the greater good of our nation. The pyramids didn’t rise from the desert through one person’s effort. They stand today because thousands worked as one. The same applies to every big breakthrough in science, medicine and technology. Behind each discovery stood teams of people sharing ideas, supporting each other and moving forward together.
Unity shows up in small ways too: parents taking turns driving kids to school, neighbors checking on elderly residents during hot days, shop owners supporting local sports teams. These small acts weave a strong safety net that catches anyone who might stumble.
Some say these times pull us apart. They point to arguments on social media or political disagreements as proof that unity has vanished. But those people miss what matters most. Every day, people come together to solve problems, help others and make life better for everyone.
That’s why we must keep building these bonds between us. Each time we reach out to help someone, we add another thread to our community’s fabric. Each time we listen to someone with different views, we make that fabric stronger. Each time we work together toward a shared goal, we show that unity gives us our greatest strength.
Some people think that unity means everyone must be the same. They couldn’t be more wrong. True unity celebrates our differences while bringing us together for common purposes. Like an orchestra where each instrument plays its unique part to create beautiful music, our differences make our unity stronger and richer.
Look at the most successful teams in any field. They don’t succeed because all members think alike. They thrive because each person brings different skills, perspectives and experiences to the group. These differences let them spot opportunities and solve problems in ways a group of similar people never could.
Nature teaches us this lesson too. The strongest ecosystems have many different species working together. Each plays its role, from the smallest insects to the largest trees. Remove any part, and the whole system gets weaker. Add new elements that work in harmony with the rest, and the ecosystem grows stronger.
The same principle applies to human communities. When we welcome and value different cultures, traditions and viewpoints, we create stronger neighborhoods and organizations. Each person brings unique insights and abilities that benefit everyone. We learn from each other, grow together and build something greater than any one culture could create alone.
This kind of unity requires openness and respect. We must listen to understand, not just to respond. We need to value perspectives different from our own. Most importantly, we must remember that accepting differences doesn’t mean losing our own identity. Instead, it enriches who we are.
But building unity through diversity takes effort. We must actively fight against prejudice and discrimination. We need to create spaces where everyone feels welcomed and valued. We should celebrate our differences while remembering our common humanity.
The rewards of this effort are worth it. When we unite across differences, we gain new ways of thinking about challenges. We find creative solutions we might otherwise have missed. We build stronger relationships based on genuine understanding and respect.
This kind of unity makes us more adaptable to change. Different perspectives help us see opportunities and challenges from many angles. We become better at finding solutions that work for everyone, not just some people.
Think about the biggest problems facing society today. None of them will be solved by people who all think alike. We need creativity and wisdom that comes from many different viewpoints working together. That’s why unity through diversity isn’t just nice to have — it’s essential for our future.
Creating this unity starts with each of us. We can reach out to people different from ourselves. We can listen to their stories and share our own. We can stand together against discrimination and support those facing prejudice. Each small action builds stronger connections across our differences.
The strength of unity doesn’t come from erasing our differences. It comes from weaving them together into something stronger than any single thread could be. Let’s celebrate our diversity while building the connections that make us stronger together.
Thank you, and God bless.
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