Conviction, not division
by Tom Sullivan
Fresh eyes sometimes see more clearly than those accustomed to the view. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota shared her view of her role at Netroots Nation earlier this month. She is not the child of immigrants, as most of us are, but an immigrant herself, a Somali refugee of war. Omar means to represent her lived experience in Congress for others who share adopting a new homeland.
Pushing back against xenophobic attacks from the acting president and his rally faithful, Omar writes how strange it was to find that besides being immigrant, being black and Muslim in her adopted country carried stigmas:
But the beauty of this country is not that our democracy is perfect. It’s that embedded in our Constitution and democratic institutions are the tools to make it better. It was in the diverse community of Minneapolis — the very community that welcomed me home with open arms after Mr. Trump’s attacks against me last week — where I learned the true value of democracy. I started attending political caucuses with my grandfather, who cherished democracy as only someone who has experienced its absence could. I soon recognized that the only way to ensure that everyone in my community had a voice was by participating in the democratic process.
Today, that basic promise is under threat. Our democratic institutions have been weaponized. The Trump administration has sought to restrict people from exercising their voting rights. It has sought to undermine the basic checks and balances of our Constitution by not respecting subpoenas from Congress. And the president has used overtly racist rhetoric to strike fear and division in communities of color and religious minorities across the country.
Driving wedges between people is a staple for a certain kind of politician. They are good listeners, but not with good intent. They listen carefully to voters not for what might be done to make their lives better, but for what knots their guts. Specifically, who riles them and why? Find that wedge, weaponize it, drive it deeper between communities and twist. Hug the flag and hate your neighbor is textbook politics for demagogues like the one in the Oval Office.
Omar’s community reacted to his attacks on her with cheers:
Congresswoman Omar just arrived back in the Twin Cities. pic.twitter.com/ZiFqWnDJgQ— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) July 18, 2019
The politics of division elected a super sack of personality disorders president of the United States in 2016. Former special counsel Robert Mueller’s House testimony this week punctuated how badly that compromised this country both at home and abroad.
A heavily redacted Senate Intelligence committee report released on Thursday concludes Russians “had attempted to intrude” in election systems “in all 50 states.” (Note: Much of this activity involved scanning of computers, not direct hacking.) Wedded firmly to the politics of division, “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday blocked a House-passed bill that would authorize $775 million to beef up state election systems.” No more funding is needed, GOP leaders argued.
This country’s democracy is in grave danger of losing itself in trying to be great “again.” Omar counters:
The only way to push back is to be unequivocal about our values. It is not enough to condemn Mr. Trump’s racism. We must affirmatively confront racist policies — whether the caging of immigrant children at the border or the banning of Muslim immigrants or the allowing of segregation in public housing. It is not enough to condemn the corruption and self-dealing of this administration. We must support policies that unmistakably improve working people’s lives, including by strengthening collective bargaining, raising the minimum wage and pursuing a universal jobs guarantee.
The consequences of this fight will not just be felt here at home but around the world. Right-wing nationalism in Hungary, Russia, France, Britain and elsewhere is on the march in ways not seen in decades. America has been a beacon of democratic ideals for the world. If we succumb to the fever of right-wing nationalism, it will have consequences far beyond our borders.
The proudest moments in our history — from the Emancipation Proclamation to the civil rights movement to the struggle against fascism — have come when we fight to protect and expand basic democratic rights. Today, democracy is under attack once again. It’s time to respond with the kind of conviction that has made America great before.
Conviction, not division. A government of laws applied unequally by class is at the root of some of our divisions. A few convictions of another kind might have a salutary effect on strengthening our nation of laws.