I have been thinking a lot about this
topic for almost a year already, and I remain about as confused as I was when I
first started thinking about it. My habit when trying to understand a puzzling
statement or remark is to first look at the form of the statement. The original
statement was in the form of an imperative: “Make America great again.” An
imperative implies that there is something that one can do and probably should
do or not do, as the case may be. Common examples include (a) “Say something
nice to her”, or (d) Don’t touch the stove – it’s hot.” Imperatives are common
and often easily understood. They often bring about a desired outcome. With
regard to the subject imperative, I am wondering what I should do and what the
desired outcome would be – and also how the extent to which the desired outcome
is achieved should be determined. I believe that at one point, the subject
imperative could be interpreted as simply “Vote for me,” in which case I did
not comply (the second time I have voted for the person who got the most votes
but was not elected). I supposed at that time, the desired outcome was being
elected, which did happen. However, if the desired outcome was gaining the most
votes, then the outcome was not achieved.
In any case, the subject imperative can
no longer be interpreted so simply as a request to vote in a particular way.
Perhaps that was not the original intent. I am not good at reading minds,
especially those that are filled with inconsistencies and invectives. Hush my
mouth … or smash my fingers, as I am only using a keyboard at present. Still, I
wonder about the form of the imperative since it implies there is something I
can or should do in response to some situation. It just is not at all clear to
me what I can or should be doing, other than writing this note to try and
figure that out.
Then I focus on the word added at the
end of the subject imperative – namely ‘again’. That might give me some
direction in resolving my wonder. When was America great? During or after the
revolutionary war? During or after the civil war? World War I? World War II?
Oops. Perhaps the history of things should not be couched in terms of wars,
although wars seem to permeate the history of nearly every country or region of
the world. When was America great? Perhaps during the industrial revolution in
the 1800s and early 1900s when so many inventions changed society and resulted
in one of the wealthiest nations in the world. See the Smithsonian Institution
Museum of American History for more on that interpretation - http://americanhistory.si.edu/.
Other events might also be cited, such as landing on the moon (see https://www.nasa.gov/content/nasas-45th-anniversary-celebration-of-the-apollo-11-moon-landing)
or the Marshall Plan after WW II (see http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/marshall-plan)
or the civil rights act of 1964 (see https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/civil-rights-act)
or other such things that the reader can add to a list of events and periods
and activities in American history about which one might take pride. I suggest
focusing on small and local events as well as larger ones to keep a dialogue on
this subject active and meaningful.
Well, I took a side trip down history lane … my brother, the
historian, would be proud, perhaps. Now I turn to memory lane. When do I, in my
own life of 72 years, believe that America was great? Challenging oneself is
another habit I developed late in life after having made too many arrogant
missteps. Being older than dirt with a poor memory has left me with just a few
things I can cite. One was attending the swearing-in ceremony of an ex-wife
upon her becoming a naturalized American citizen. That was a moving occasion
with so many people from so many places becoming American citizens. That was an
inspiring ceremony and made me feel proud to be an American welcoming so many
others to this country. I recall the words of Emma Lazarus on the Statue of
Liberty: “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-tossed, to me: I lift my
lamp beside the golden door.” The more than 100 people welcomed as US citizens
that day in Atlanta were not tired or poor … they were hard working people who
wanted to enjoy life and contribute in their own ways to American society. I
listened to their conversations with their families while there – perhaps that
was the time I felt most proud to be an American.
One other instance of when I thought America was
great involved a letter I received from Albert Gore Senior when he was on the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee in reply to one that I wrote to him
indicating my negative feelings about the Vietnam conflict and American
leadership in the world in general. He replied that I should be patient and not
judge the country by one issue or incident and that there were and will continue
to be many things about America in which I could take pride. That voice of
optimism was also inspiring to me and perhaps gave me the strength to work for
the Department of Defense in later years after what I regarded as a disastrous
experience as an intelligence officer in earlier years.
Yes, there have been times when I thought
America was great. I am guessing that most Americans can cite such times, and
probably many non-Americans can as well, with the exception of folks such as
the leaders of Iran, North Korea, the Philippines, Russia or Turkey, among
others. There have been good times in America and there have been bad times.
One could probably say that about any country. We ought not overlook some of
the truly bad things that have happened, and we should perhaps believe that
many good things will happen in the future. Undoubtedly some bad things will
also continue to happen. That seems all too deeply embedded in human nature and
the history of civilizations.
So, what can or should I do to help bring about
those good things? In my professional life as an educational technology
researcher I might contribute to the development of tools, technologies and
techniques to help adolescents develop habits of inquiry and critical reasoning
that will serve them well as adults. In my personal life, I hope to offer my
family and friends support and comfort as they strive to live fulfilled lives. As
a responsible citizen, there may be little I can do to effect positive change
although there is much I would like to see happen. For example, in a democracy,
there should be at least one national election in which the basic principle of
one-person/one-vote is implemented, and that should be the election of the
national leader. I do believe in democracy but worry that we are drifting away
from basic democratic principles found in the Declaration of Independence: “We
hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these
are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” While I have some concerns
about the use of ‘men’ and ‘creator’ (I think the statement applies to all
persons regardless of any religious belief or orientation), I do not think it
applies only to members of a political party
or racial group or nationality. It says ‘all’ – not limited to those
with whom one agrees or whom one likes. ‘All’ is inclusive, as it should be.
The spirit of America is not about favoring a few or accumulating wealth or
putting one’s personal beliefs above all else. The spirit of America is not
about bullying others or taking whatever advantages one can for one’s own
benefit.
What I feel that I can and should do is promote
a spirit of belonging to a society that embraces diversity, that respects and
values differences, that is open and fair to all. My father once said that our
responsibility is to bring out the best in others. That is what I can and
should be doing. I would hope that people who occupy high offices in this
country and in others mentioned in this note would make that a top priority as
well.
