I’m on the Trump campaign list. I receive eight to 10 emails each day asking me to demonstrate my patriotism by contributing money to assure his re-election.
Also, during the four days of the Republican convention, a primary theme was the definition of a “patriot” as one who supports and agrees with all of Donald Trump’s words and actions. True patriots must love their country and President Trump unequivocally without question or critique. “Republicans guard the soul of America,” said Vice President Mike Pence.
It seems true American (Trump) patriots must sanitize America’s history. In his acceptance speech, Trump glorified “ranchers and miners, cowboys and sheriffs, farmers and settlers … and the legends of Wyatt Earp, Annie Oakley, Davy Crockett, and Buffalo Bill.” He left out Wyatt Earp was a vigilante, Davy Crockett participated in the massacre of Native Americans, and some others contributed to the reign of lawlessness and gun fighting.
He continued, “Americans built their beautiful homesteads on the open range,” while forgetting that the “open range” was already populated with Native Americans. He continued, “Soon, (settlers) had churches and communities, then towns, and with time, great centers of industry and commerce.” He left out that this progress of America’s prosperity was fed by slavery and by the forced labor of prisoners who work in factories, built railroads, and mined coal.
Today, Trump favors his patriots over all others. He proclaims true patriots must overcome their fear of “anarchists, agitators, and criminals” in the streets by supporting military action against peaceful demonstrations. He neglects to recognize the patriotism of thousands of peaceful protesters seeking positive structural change in America.
His rhetoric gave encouragement to a pro-Trump rally to insert itself among peaceful demonstrators in Portland on Aug. 29. With hundreds of trucks, they drove through the streets flying American flags together with Trump flags, seeking to start a riot by shooting paintball guns into the crowd from the beds of their pickup trucks. Some jumped off their trucks and fought with protesters. It ended with a person being shot and killed.
Aggressive acts are permissible in the name of Trump.
Sanitizing American history and claiming privilege for Trump supporters introduces confusion into the understanding of “American values.” In The End of Denial, Ibram X. Kendi argues that America has become a nation of contradictions between words and actions. Kendi writes: “It has been a massacring nation that said it cherished life, a slaveholding nation that claimed it valued liberty, a hierarchal nation that declared it valued equality, a disenfranchising nation that branded itself a democracy, a segregated nation that styled itself separate but equal, an excluding nation that boasted of opportunity for all.”
The values of liberty, equality, and democracy are not existential. They are aspirations. They keep our eyes on the prize. They judge the actions of our contemporary government and society. They inspire each generation to continue the progress toward a more just and inclusive society.
The way America has been and the way it is today are not necessarily descriptors of the future. The cry to “Make America Great Again” looks in the wrong direction. To claim that “America is the greatest and most exceptional nation in the history of the world” denies its flaws. It suggests an arrogance that resists progress.
I find expressions of arrogance in the emails I’ve receive from the Trump campaign. One said, “We just put on the most HISTORIC and Patriotic 2020 GOP Convention of all time.” Others tell me I’m one of the privileged ones, ask me if I believe in “fake news” and constantly label opponents as “sleepy Joe” and “phony Kamala.”
Finally, one said, “Your vote will decide whether we protect law-abiding Americans, or whether we give free rein to violent anarchists, agitators and criminals who threaten our citizens.” Again, “Republicans guard the soul of America.”
However, there is an alternative to stultifying arrogance. The way to continue on the path toward greater liberty, equality, and democracy is to pave it with humility. Humility opens the door to recognizing that our life choices include ignorance and mistakes – no matter who we are, who our ancestors were, what we look like, or how much money or power we possess.
Humility reminds us that “God bless America” includes a plea for forgiveness from sins of the past, as a nation and as individuals. Humility opens Americans to reconciliation and new beginnings.
Humility inspires doing our best while recognizing our best is not perfection. Humility allows strong commitments, but with the understanding that they may fail and be replaced with something more effective.
Humility discards the cudgel of arrogant absolutist patriotism.
Humility lets us know that complete and evolving truth will set us free.
Humility melds patriotism with transparency, wisdom, empathy, and love.
Humility cancels no one. It is “the soul of America.”
(John Buttrick lives in Concord and can be reached at johndbuttrick@gmail.com.)