Our country has a strong history, where our founding fathers fought for freedom from tyranny and developed a system of government seen as a model for other nations around the world. Our country was founded on grit, determination, greatness: In developing technology, systems, land, people. We have a lot to be proud of as a nation and we should be.
The past 50 years has seen the passing of the Civil Rights Act, more steps toward equality for women, unimaginable technological advances that have helped shrink our world to the point where we can talk face to face with another person halfway around the world in real time, the legality of marriage for same sex couples and many other remarkable things.
And yet...
I have been watching this election cycle, like everyone else, with weary eyes, shocked disbelief and a whole lot of anxiety. I see people in our country supporting mean spirited, childish candidates who promote policies that marginalize those they have deemed to be "less" than them. They do this with the common refrain, "Make America Great Again!" or "Take our country back!"
And this brings me to a question that has been swirling around in my brain for the past few weeks. Who do you want to take America back from? Where do you want to bring it? Make America greater than what?
Great like when we passed laws to keep the Chinese out, but let some in to help build the Trans Continental Railroad for very little pay? Great like when the South seceded so they could continue to own slaves? Great like when Jews were turned away from US shores after having escaped Nazi Germany? Great like when we tried to keep out other European Immigrants? Great like when US citizens of Japanese descent were gathered up and put in internment camps? Great like when there were separate bathrooms for people of color and a little girl had to go to school with police protection because the white people wanted to keep her out? Great like when Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten and killed by fellow Americans because of his sexual orientation? Great like when women, who were US citizens, protected by the Constitution were denied the right to vote? Great like when women were not guaranteed equal pay for equal work? Oh wait, that last one is happening still. Is this the greatness they miss and want?
One of my mantras as a mom has always been, "mistakes are wonderful opportunities to learn," meaning okay, you made this mistake...learn from it, move on and don't repeat it. We have come so far as a country in accepting others and recognizing these mistakes from the past. But if we repeat these mistakes, have we really improved? Are we really great?
You want to make America great? Here's what you need to do. Commit to educating ALL children and helping them become thinking members of a thriving democracy. Help the poor, feed the hungry. Build infrastructure, keep jobs in our country. Make sure all have access to quality healthcare. Contrary to what one of the candidates said in the debate last week, healthcare IS a right and we all have a stake in ensuring that all get the care they need. No one deserves to die because they can't afford healthcare.
Deal with immigration in a fair and rational manner. In a student produced documentary on immigration, a local attorney noted that we have a long history of saying now that we're in, let's close the borders and keep everyone else out. Don't let fear rule decisions regarding international refugee crises and terrorism.
Fix the mental health crisis and for goodness sakes, do something about the NRA and mass shootings. Give equal rights to all as indicated in the US Constitution, because guess what...someone's sexual orientation has absolutely nothing to do with you. In fact, for a party that believes in less government, stop trying to govern what women do with their bodies or people do in the privacy of their homes.
Stop worrying about how we've become too "politically correct" and instead think about whether what you are doing or saying about others is kind. These are the things that would truly make our country great and are the things I would like to see our candidates talking about as we move through the rest of the primary season and into the general election.
