Hatred, bigotry, and racism all work to the same goal: division and dehumanization. My grandfather fought those allied with the Nazis in the Pacific Ocean, as did my great uncles. My aunt served in the Navy as a Master Yeoman, and I've served for nearly twenty years in the Navy and Marine Corps.
In 2008 my squadron deployed to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. During our stay we had the opportunity to meet and dine with the Imperial Navy Surviving Aviators' Association. These gentlemen all fought for Japan during World War II, and at least one that I talked to fought in the Battle of the Coral Sea - opposite of my grandfather, George Berg.
That night, none of the past mattered. Our two nations had grown to be allies, and the bitterness and division that had stood sixty years prior had fallen to a shared love of aviation and a shared bravery to fight for their country. The gentlemen I was with became decades younger during our conversation as we traded stories of flying, our families, and our countries we love.
Those who seek to divide us, who claim that someone else isn't deserving of their life or their freedom because of their birth, color of skin, or religion, betray the principles this country was founded on. Their message of hatred and division go against everything I have learned, experienced, and taught not just as a Marine, but as a human being.
This isn't a political issue, it's a human issue. Bigotry, hatred, and racism have no place in our discourse or politics. We must stand together as a country united in our humanity.
Donate to the campaign if you stand with me in uniting instead of dividing.