“Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country,” were patriotic, moral, and uplifting words spoken from President John F. Kennedy.
Even though I didn’t grow up in a political home, I grew up admiring the Kennedy family dedication to the country through military and public service. Of the Kennedy’s, John and Robert were my favorites, John for his “New Frontier” commitment and Robert for his dedication to “rights” in minority communities.
As a child of military parents, Army and Navy, I attended school on military bases, and there was not a day that passed that we didn’t pledge allegiance to the flag each weekday morning. Americanism and patriotism were qualities revered, and I wholeheartedly embraced, no questions asked.
Living on a military base was some of the best days of my life. We were a community, made of various races, genders, and religions. Despite our differences of a mired of issues, what united us was a love for our country, The United States of America.
British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill once said, “We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us.”
I always felt safe as a child, surrounded by men and women of valor.
Obviously, as an adult, the realness of the world wasn’t immune to my mind, especially as a black person. I have been called the n-word. White people have questioned my intelligence. White friends parents have forbidden me from entering their home because of the color of my skin. White women have made fun of the texture and style of my hair, only later to emulate themselves. White people have said racist jokes at my peril, only to then accuse me of being overly-sensitive after being called out for their insensitively.
Despite these dark stages in life, my commitment and loyalty to country never wavered. Before Donald Trump’s presidency, I believed our nation was healing from racism, albeit slowly. The excitement that millions of white people felt over Barack Obama’s candidacy and eventually the presidency was proof enough to me that there was hope that racism could be separated from our liberties and our values.
Of course, during the Obama era I was not ignorant of the birtherism and the white fever-heat freak-out that conservatives on the far-right illuminated. Of course, I was not blind to the majority of mainstream Republicans silence that their base was determined to forbid a man of color from ever witnessing the White House outside of being a servant to the white man.
However, despite all their wicked, made-up grievances, the majority of Americans chose the black man. And not due to his color and to make up for decades of oppression, but due to his ideas, policies, values, and intelligence, “Change we can believe in.”
I was proud to canvasses, cold-call, donate to Barack Obama candidacy. His nomination was the inspiration of great change, equal rights, and a manifesto to hard work. Like Kennedy, Obama was the “...ask what you can do for your country,” and I did.
Obama was the beginning of the importance of being involved in federal, state, and local elections. I earned my bachelors’ degree in Political Science. I’ve written op-eds for establishments like The Hill, Thought Catalog, The Grio, The Federalists, and Roanoke Times. There wasn’t a moment during Obama’s presidency and the campaign between Trump and Clinton that I didn’t think about policy and culture, and what my role as an American was.
During President George W. Bush years, my patriotism to the country was questioned because I was a critic of the then-President Bush and his administration. But under Obama and since, I have proved through the long hours worked to get people out to vote that I was indeed a proud American.
I’m still a proud American, but I’m also disappointed.
When Donald Trump announced he was running for president, I laughed. “What a joke,” I thought. However, over the course of the primary, I feared Republicans were indeed taking the racist buffoon seriously. Still, I tried to remain calm, because, in my mind, our country was better than the likes of Trump.
Then the worst happened, he secured the Republican party nomination. The darkest of days of Jim Crow resurrected when he won the presidency.
From the moment Trump was inaugurated, he’s been a master of disaster. So much for, “There’s going to be so much winning.” Instead, there’s been multiple firings and resignations. Trump’s Muslim ban, utter confusion. Trump’s immigration executive order, disaster. More non-criminals are being deported, which was the opposite of what Trump stated on the campaign. And now he’s going after legal immigration although that's what our country is founded on, immigrants.
There’s no funding for the wall on the Mexican border, but according to Trump’s conversation with the Mexican president that’s no problem because it isn't exactly on his radar anyways. But it certainly was on the radar on the campaign trail (and his continued rallies) — firing up the racism is Trump’s gift.
And now, after white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Virginia which killed an American and injured 19 people, Trump let the whole country and world know exactly how he feels about Nazi’s, that white supremacy has some good.
I’m not surprised he believes this. After all, Trump is surrounded by fascists, not to mention, his past issues with discriminating against blacks and opinion on Central Park 5.
Senior Advisor for Policy, Stephen Miller, on the Statue of Liberty sonnet: believes its meaning is meaningless.
“...I don't want to get off into a whole thing about history here, but the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of American liberty lighting the world. The poem that you're referring to was added later (and) is not part of the original Statue of Liberty.”
Umm, what?
Lady Liberty’s sonnet words are the pillar of American principals, values, and liberation.
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!”
Former White House Chief Strategist, Steven Bannon is a proud ethnic-nationalist. But Bannon isn’t alone in his thinking, plenty of Trump's staffers believe this crap like Deputy Assistant to the President, Sebastian Gorka, and Stephen Miller.
Instead of focusing on making our country better, Trump is focused on openly defending white nationalism and the Confederacy. Not surprising considering the DOJ is investigating racism against white men on college, a non-existent problem. Trump and the DOJ think resurrecting the War on Drugs is good policy, policy that overwhelmingly harms black communities.
Trump spends his days tweeting insults at celebrates and politicians, almost daily. If he doesn’t get his way on issues like healthcare and immigration, then he participates in outbursts of a spoiled child starved for attention, and it’s all for the world to see since it happens via social media. Gone are the days of debating budgets, environmental policy, and discussing individual and Constitutional rights. Now, we have a president that believes the Constitution is optional, that he’s King, and that white power isn’t that bad.
Once upon a time, I used to love to write obsessively about the state our country: politically and socially. I was an activist through word, now I’m exhausted and don't want to fight to keep our country progressing for the better. Now all I want to do is run away and hide. Politics, once made of men like Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, FDR, Kennedy, LBJ, and Ronald Reagan who believed in social and economic liberty, seems like a relic now. Now our politics and our country finds itself in an unfortunate state, and it’s all Donald Trump’s fault. Instead of Trump thinking about the people, he only thinks of self and how white supremacy will perceive him. That makes for not a good president, much less a great man.
Quiana Fulton
