“The New Colossus”
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Emma Lazarus, 1883
When I was growing up, I was always taught that America was a melting pot. A mix of cultures, races, art, history, science, and literature that blended together to make a richer country than could ever be achieved by just taking the sum of the parts. Sure, this is a bit of an idealistic view, and society certainly hasn’t reached a point where all individuals are able to contribute equally to the greatness of this nation, but it is still a wonderfully hopeful ideal that encourages us to work together, to be accepting, and to seek out otherness. I think the melting pot is about to spill out.
Political Incorrectness
Donald Trump pitched himself as a man outside the control of the PC police. A man that could speak freely about whatever it is that he wants. What exactly does that mean? To speak politically correct is to speak in a way to avoid using words or phrases that offend or demean others. It is to publicly present yourself in a manner that is open, accepting, and inviting to anyone else that may be around you or listening to your speech. It is not using “gay” to describe something you find dumb or stupid, because people who identify as gay are also intelligent beings. It is not calling someone a “girl” after they act weak or timid, because women can easily be as strong as men physically, emotionally, academically, and spiritually.
Taking the opposite definition, to embrace political incorrectness is to act with disregard for how others may feel as a result of your actions. It is to openly engage in activities and discourse that is meant to make others feel unwelcome. It is to alienate the “others” in society so that you can experience freedom at their expense. In pursuit of political incorrectness, Donald Trump made public statements alienating large sections of the population.
- He bragged about using his power to sexually assault women. What message does this send to women across the country, including those who may have experienced sexual assault?
- He made blanket statements about Mexican immigrants, calling them rapist drug lords the should be deported immediately and kept out with a massive wall. What message does this send to the hard working Mexican Americans that hold jobs others wouldn’t, who have been here generation after generation, and/or who hold leadership positions within their communities?
- He mocked the disability of a reporter. What message does this send to those who have physical or mental disabilities, including those who may have received such disabilities defending this country?
- He called for a ban on refugees because some of them may be Islamic terrorists. What message does this send to the 1/5 of the world population or 1/100 of the US population that follow this religious tradition, or to the victims of non-Islamic terrorists, or to the Native Americans who actually had their country taken away be invaders and are still treated with disrespect?
In a world where science, technology, and communication allows international business to be conducted just as easily as interstate business, an attitude of political incorrectness effects our relations with those outside our borders just as much as it does for those inside our borders.
Making America “Great” Again
A key piece of Donald Trump’s campaign was the idea that the country no longer belonged to the people. That people no longer felt at home in their country. That we needed to return America to its long lost greatness. I posit that 2 days ago was just about the absolute best time for anyone living within this country. African-Americans are no longer considered property, and they are even able to have their votes counted fully, utilize the same businesses and schools as their European American brethren, and many hold leadership roles in businesses and governments of all sizes and levels. Women have more positive role models in the labor force, and can especially see successful women working in STEM fields. Individuals in the LGBT community are able to marry in many states and are (generally) no longer treated as if they have a psychological disorder or are possessed by demons. Every other movie is a comic book movie. Nearly all other demographic and psycographic identities are able to join a society that is more open, more accepting, and more tolerant than it has ever been in the past. Sure there is progress to be made, but it is certainly a long stretch to where we were 50 years ago.
Except for one key demographic. Those who long for sitting on grandma’s porch while drinking a sweet tea. Those who miss when you could just ride in the back of the truck to go to the market. Those who think it’s a shame you can’t let your kids play outside because of all of those “other” people out there. Those who feel like their country has been taken from them. You know, white people.
Making America Great “Again”
The idea that America is no longer great seems to correlate almost exactly to when white citizens began to lose control over culture and power within the US. Slowly, white people began to see “others” in leading roles in movies and TV shows, leading businesses, living in their neighborhoods, and otherwise participating within society. Their country was no longer just for them. Make America Great Again as a philosophy is almost a mirror of those longing for the good ole days of Confederate America, where rich white plantation owners lived lavishly while the “others” maintained their properties. Life is enriched by diversity and inclusion. Having the ideas of “others” in our businesses and government creates organizations and policies that are more receptive to all people. Your right is not being infringed upon just because someone else can do the same thing you can do.
When exactly was America great? Which America would we like to go back to? Pre-1860, where “Manifest Destiny” said it was our God given right to steal the land from the native people that had settled here before, and where we brought Africans over on boats to serve as laborers for us? The massive bloodshed of World War I and World War II? The rise of organized crime during prohibition? The massive poverty of the Great Depression? The Civil Rights Movement, where white people threw a fit about other people using their water fountains? I fail to see a single period in American history where more groups of people have more rights than at this very moment.
Sidebar: Economic Progress
I suppose that’s not all that has changed, though. Manufacturing jobs have moved to countries where labor is cheaper. Technology has made some positions obsolete or has required individuals to learn new skills in order to remain relevant. India and China are slowly gaining economic and political power, allowing them to compete with other advanced nations across the world. Concerns about our environment (backed by pretty much every scientist) have caused nations and companies to look for ways in which we can protect and preserve our planet. All of these factors may lead one to believe their country is going in the wrong direction, but they’re all just signs of progress.
As one of my favorite Tech journalists says, the makers of wagon wheels for horse drawn carriages were forced to adapt/change their business once automobiles where introduced. That’s just the nature of progress. Replacing tedious assembly line jobs with machines allows individuals to use their abilities to do more than simple repetitive tasks. Rising foreign economies open up market opportunities for American businesses, provide more partners for trade, and help decrease poverty and hunger worldwide. A rising tide lifts all boats. America can exist if it is not the #1 country in the world. We should look for ways to adapt to the changes in our environment rather than attempting to somehow go back to what once was. Let’s retrain coal miners and factory workers so that they can use their skills in other positions. Let’s find ways American ingenuity can produce goods and services needed by the rest of the world. I’m sure I’ve left some stuff out of this, but go read Thomas Friedman’s The World is Flat. It’s a great resource on understanding globalization.
Conclusion
The poem above this post was written to raise money for the Statue of Liberty and can be found engraved on a bronze plaque at the base of the statue. It describes a nation that is welcoming to all who enter its borders. A nation that will not only take care of its people, but embrace their differences. A nation of castaways, refugees, and people of all walks of life who want nothing more but to live in peace. Very few of our citizens are true native born Americans. We have all come from outside to form this nation. I hope Donald Trump’s America is still able to continue our mission to be welcoming to others. I hope Donald Trump’s America is able to find ways to embrace diversity and inclusion. Sadly, it seems some 59 million Americans are tired of the “others”.
Aftermath (added on 11/10/2016 and updated periodically)
I think I will use this space to share stories that exemplify my thoughts from above. Certainly, not all Trump supporters shared this viewpoint, but there are a ton of his supporters out there who hate social justice warriors, political correctness, and wish people would just go back to where they came from. I’ll try to only pull from legitimate sources for this section (newspapers, etc).
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