She believed in American exceptionalism — in the values that shape a nation, not just our military or economic might. She would often tell me stories of great acts of courage, sacrifice and integrity — stories rooted in American history — stories that shaped my understanding of American nationhood.
She loved the story of John Adams, who, despite fierce criticism, defended British soldiers who shot dead several rioting civilians during the Boston Massacre in 1770. She praised the jury that acquitted the soldiers of murder charges after they had been harassed and assaulted by the crowd, whose impartiality she praised as essential to the American character.
Furthermore, there are many examples of American character, such as General Ulysses S. Grant’s gentle and compassionate treatment of General Robert E. Lee after his defeat at Appomattox, General Douglas MacArthur’s efforts to rebuild Japanese society during the occupation of Japan after World War II, Secretary of State George C. Marshall’s plans to rebuild devastated Europe after the war, and the Berlin Airlift.
My mother, who grew up in the segregated South, was not ignorant of our country’s shortcomings, but she always believed in its goodness. She believed America was special because there was a goodness in our hearts that rose above the hate and united us in the worst of times, showing the world that despite our internal strife and political divisions, we could rise above it all and become the best version of ourselves. This is what made America special.
Now, with our former president convicted by a New York jury, we face a choice: we can show the world that we are still exceptional, and continue to lead the international community with integrity and pride, or we can perpetuate our onslaught of crudeness, vulgarity, pettiness and righteousness, and decline into a mediocre nation with nothing worth emulating.
I have been a vocal critic of the former president, and I was not pleased that he was convicted. He was the president of the United States, my president. Whether I liked him or not, he was elected by the people, the American people — your neighbors, your coworkers, your friends, your family. If we continue to be viewed as the exception, it is time for both sides to put down their rhetorical weapons and find a way to work our way up.
On the left, please stop the boasting and the ugly memes, the public rants, the late-night diatribes and the political vitriol. On the right, please respect legal decisions, support your juries, fly your flag with pride, and find ways to bridge the political divide. There are thoughtful, rational and genuinely good men and women on both sides. Let them speak for America.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “I dream of a place and a time when America will again be seen as the last hope of Earth.” It is up to all of us to decide whether that will come true. this It’s about that place and time, whether this is a place where we can stand together and show the world that we can overcome hardships, that we are special, that my mother was right, that our goodness can surpass hate and unite us even in the most difficult times.
