The day America assassinated its own character
Almost a week has passed since November 8 2016, and many of us are still in mourning. Amongst my family and friends many who have not cried for decades or last cried at the funeral of a love one, tears are still coming. The sadness, the sinking feeling in the pit of the stomach is palpable. It is like the feeling of the death of someone near, who is not to be seen again.
As an immigrant who became a citizen 40 years ago this is personally painful. When I took the oath of allegiance at a bicentennial citizenship celebration with my newborn daughter on my shoulder I was honored and ecstatic to be part of this forward-looking nation with so much promise. I felt safe, secure and believed that I was now amongst the best, most honorable people in the world. So far I have not been disappointed, felt discriminated or held back because of my background. However given the consequences and tenor of the election, I worry that my children or grand children will not have the same opportunities.
This is not just about politics or the normal give and take of a democratic society. Sure under a Trump Administration and court nominees all social causes dear to many of us will be rolled back 20-30 years but in time we will recover that. The trickle down economic policies will continue to favor the 1% and further shred the social safety net for the disadvantaged. But a sense of shame may eventually ameliorate some of the economic burden on the poor. And we will not turn into a Dickensian society. Voting rights for minorities will be trampled on and that struggle with some setbacks will continue to move forward for as Martin Luther King said ‘the arc of moral history is long but it bends towards justice’.
No what we lost on Election Day was something deeper, the definition of what it means to be an American in the 21st century. Over the last 100 years the nation founded on the blood-stained genocide of American Indians and shame of slavery had moved to a noble, exalted, and honorable position in the world and history. It fought and sacrificed in two World wars where repeatedly in victory it sought no spoil or rewards and helped rebuild its former enemies. As Colin Powell once said all we asked for ‘Is a place to bury our dead who came to free you’. The nation stared down the specter of communism and again sought no benefit other than people in those suppressed countries be allowed to determine their own future.
On social issues the nation was the most open and free in the world, welcoming to immigrants and made an incredible statement of racial equality by electing the 1st African American as President in 2008. The immigrants made substantial contributions to the country including 2/3 of the nations noble prizewinners and made bulk of the workforce that generated the Internet revolution. On gender issues remarkable progress was being made towards freedom of choice and gender equality. While the pace of progress could be debated there is no question that there was respect for immigrants, people of color and women. As Ronald Reagan said in his farewell address to the nation the country ‘is a shining city on the hill – a beacon—a magnet for all who must have freedom’.
On election night that light was extinguished. A coarse unprincipled man was elected President. In his own words he was vulgar demeaning and profane to all women, insulting and frightening to immigrants, and aligning with vicious racists like KKK. His vision of white nationalism, isolationism, closed trade borders and disparaging immigrants, is the opposite of Reagan’s ‘shining city’. Even Pope Francis chided him for ‘building walls rather than bridges’.
The loss of America as a joyful place of hope is what we mourn. It offered hope, respect and welcome to immigrants. The arc of history was bending towards justice. Women were feeling safer and making progress towards gender equality. We set the example and standard on openness As Bill Clinton once said ‘the power of our example is stronger than example of our power’. The new President now defines our example and our character. As Americans that is who we will be identified as. Since many of us reject that identification, what we are really in mourning is the loss of our moral identity or national character, which died on election night.
