America's birthday
I'm not feeling especially festive
Red hats and flattened rose gardens have me feeling a bit lackluster about the 250th birthday of our great union. Every day I read news about what the Trump administration is doing and every day I’m aghast. Today a DEI investigation into the very place I work. The government is investigating a university that serves 194,000 students currently, in real time, 150,000 undergraduates. We just had our largest graduating class ever and fucking Harrison Ford spoke to the masses. We have 81,000 students studying online across this great nation and many of those are having their education paid for by their employers.
Justice officials said their investigation "will examine whether ASU subjects its students to illegal discrimination through its DEI policies in admissions, recruitment, scholarships, tutoring, and the provision of educational support."
Subject students to illegal discrimination? You want us to enroll, recruit, give money and support to more students? All students even? We do, too! That’s actually what we work on every day. And in fact you saying that we have standards is a great celebration for our often party school described institution. Come at me, bro. We define ourselves by who we include and how they succeed which means all are welcome and if you have a problem with that then we have an actual beef.
But maybe we are talking about something else.
Maybe the words mean something different to different people. Maybe.
And this is just one example of why the big birthday is feeling flat to me.
I feel like all day long we are facing an administration that is trying to divide us rather than bring us together. A government that is doing the work to tear us apart, and maybe it is happening on both sides.
Maybe we have words for a government doing these things. Maybe those words were written 250 years ago.
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.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
I believe in the vision of this nation. I believe in the words of our forefathers. We have rights and those rights include happiness. The constant bleh coming from DC is not bringing me joy. But it isn’t the only story.
I just drove across 15 states in 30 days. I didn’t listen or watch the news. I read headlines and spent my days in the world with people. And what I saw was the America that I think we really are. People working, living their lives, loving their families and doing the best they can.
In New Orleans, I went to the neighborhood where my husband was stationed after Katrina and I saw buildings that still had the markings of how many dead people were found there. I saw hospitals that have been shuttered for over 20 years. I saw trees growing out of balconies and right next to those I saw restaurants that were feeding their neighborhoods, selling out of their best dishes. I saw outdoor gyms and people walking their dogs, I went up to the levee and I went to Bourbon Street. I walked around the Garden District and into a book store. I marveled at the number of books by local authors and I experienced the local feeling of NOLA. I met an artist who will design my book cover and we had to cut our conversation short because it was time for him to pick up his daughters from school. Family, community, art, culture, America.
In Wilmington, we went to the beach and had tacos near to graduation weekend and shared a restaurant with white frat guys knocking back some beers and sorority girls scantly clad in bikinis and cut offs. I could have been in Tempe or Tallahassee, it was loud and silly; fun and over the top. Back at our hotel a community of workers, black and white, came together to figure out what to do about a dead black cat in the parking lot. They protected each other, they asked for help, they came together. It was touching and sincere. Community, camaraderie, laughter, tears, America.
In Ocracoke, I engaged in a conversation with others on the ferry, traveling from near and far to experience the eastern seaboard. People who have never been and who come every year. Looking for recommendations and the best ways to engage in one of our oldest fishing communities. Learning about the history of the island, respecting the past and paying into the economy. From Atlanta and Pennsylvania finding wonder in those from the west. Tourists, wonderers, wanderers, workers, America.
In Spartanburg, we went to a baseball game where the National Parks had a tent set up to share about the local parks and to get people excited about the 250th celebration. South Carolinians will tell you that their state is “where the Revolutionary War was won.” Ironically, they do have the record of the most battles of the war. Who knew? The Spartanburgers may have had the best baseball burger I have eaten in a long time and merch made by our own Baseballism and if you haven’t been to minor league baseball you are missing something magical about this country. Kids on the field, funny giveaways, local entertainment, future of the sport, America.
In Moab, we went on a night boat cruise after a cowboy dinner. A hundred people from around the world came to experience the beauty of nature. A family run business earning a living through tourism in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Honoring a decades old tradition of telling the story of the place including the history of uranium mining and the subsequent government clean up efforts. Celebrating visitors from Chicago and Florida, California and Ukraine. Barbecue, boxed wine, cheap beer, the mighty Colorado, bright lights, America.
Taken together the people from all these places were more different than the same, people living their lives looking for happiness.
People willing to engage with others, have conversations, learn about each other. There were minimal red hats, confederate flags, pride flags, t-shirts with messages. Just other humans being together. Sharing stories and meals. It wasn’t until we got to Utah that I saw Trump flags even.
I was feeling lackluster about the 250th birthday celebration until I remembered the people on the trip. The other Americans more willing to be alongside me than to debate me. More of that and maybe I’ll be ready for cake come July 4th.
I don’t know maybe we live in a world, a country that really has embraced DEI more than we care to admit. Maybe words and definitions matter. Here are mine.
Discrimination—when someone is treated less favorably than others in a similar situation, rather than being judged on their individual merits or qualifications
Diversity—a wide range of human differences from religion to race, orientation to socioeconomics, immigration status to language spoken existing together with respect.
Equity—everyone getting what they need.
Inclusion—feeling like you belong.
America—an imperfect place striving to be better.
Maybe we do have something to celebrate after all.
