“France is never greater than when its great for all people.” Andre Malraux, French Novelist
France is in the spotlight, especially Paris. A Canadian, Celine Dion, singing Hyme a l’amour (Hymn of Love) opened the 2024 Olympics with a musical gift to the world. To borrow from Malraux, Dion’s gift was to “all people.”
Back home, a Saturday headline in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) read: “Democrats Bet America Is Ready to Elect a Black Woman President.” The article that followed parsed a WSJ poll conducted 7/23-7/25. Premature is the first word that comes to mind. Error is the second.
Is Kamala Harris a black woman? She is only if an offspring of an East Indian mother and Jamaican father is. And to that I say, look around.
Several days ago I was at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC for a minor procedure on my knees. The hospital employees are a kaleidoscope of colors — ethnic variations—the melting pot that is America.
Curious, I went to Wikipedia and learned that the phrase “melting pot” was first coined by Israel Zangwill, an author and playwright, describing “America’s absorption of immigrants.” Zangwill was Jewish and born in London, the son of Latvian and Polish immigrants.
My heritage is European: English, German, and Irish. Love conquered the divisions, as the English were not enamored of the Irish—it was reciprocal. And, well, the Germans were prepared to follow several of their 20th-century leaders into war.
But here we are. America was built with the blood, sweat, tears, and moxie of virtually all nationalities. Sub-dividing our political candidates and then describing them along bloodlines is a curse of identity politics.
I don’t know Donald J. Trump’s ethnic background and don’t care. I only know Harris’s because it is frequently pointed out. To me they are both Americans and should be judged by what they tell us about how they intend to improve our nation. Or, given hyperbole, how they are going to try.
America’s strength results from its diversity paired with freedom. The freedom to start things. To fail or succeed. Look around. Study the diverse combinations that are busy improving health care, communication networks, manufacturing processes and so much more.
Humans are by nature and experience pulled toward being judgmental. And marketing amplifies our preferences in food, cars, sports teams and on and on. Good; it would be beyond boring to live and work in a narrow culture with few choices. But, when bloodlines or skin color shape negative prejudices we are yielding to a distortion of the senses.
The politics of the United States, maybe today more then ever, reflects our diversity. We are not bored. We should celebrate this fact — the fact of our diversity. And the last thing we should do is to let ethnic divisions guide our choice of leaders.
I see Kamala Harris as an American and beginning about a week ago, I started getting to know how she wants to lead us. Surely she will now run not as a subordinate of President Biden’s or those who head the Progressive political wing. If she does she will lose the middle and thus the electoral college. More to follow.
If France is “never greater than when its great for all people”, America is never wiser than when it recognizes our greatness is “out of many one.”
Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al writes on themes from his book, Culture Leads Leaders Follow published by Koehler Books.
David A Turner says
“Surely she will now run not as a subordinate of President Biden’s or those who head the Progressive political wing. If she does she will lose the middle and thus the electoral college.”
Al, I fear she may very well run “as a subordinate of the Progressive political wing.” Let’s see how she does in the debates and in serious interviews by the media, as well as in her policy statements.
James Nick says
Mr Sikes writes “The politics of the United States, maybe today more then ever, reflects our diversity. We are not bored. We should celebrate this fact — the fact of our diversity. And the last thing we should do is to let ethnic divisions guide our choice of leaders.”
Nice words, indeed. Fine, lofty words that would sound good in maybe a state of the union address, a college commencement speech, or maybe a TED talk.
But meanwhile, back in the real world there’s this…
A simple Google search will show that in November, 2022 trump hosted a dinner for Nick Fuentes and Kanye West at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach. Nick Fuentes is a raging white nationalist and anti-Semite. While West has repeatedly shown himself to be an ignorant walking, talking butthole of galactic proportions.
Right after trump selected JD Vance as his running mate, Mr Fuentes said of Vance’s wife during a broadcast of his show…
“What kind of man marries somebody that isn’t a Christian? What kind of man marries somebody named Usha? Clearly, he doesn’t value his racial identity, his heritage. Clearly, he doesn’t value his religion. He doesn’t marry a woman that professes Jesus Christ? What does that say about him?” Fuentes wondered (
https://x.com/RightWingWatch/status/1813630807434461501)
This from a person that trump invited into his inner sanctum, the Holy of Holies of today’s Republican party, and broke bread with him. This doesn’t sound like someone interested in celebrating the diversity that Mr Sikes speaks of yet he literally has a place at the table in the party of trump.
There are some who wonder why there is trump derangement syndrome. Wonder no more.
In November, vote like your country depends on it… because when there are people like Fuentes and West that have trump’s ear, it does.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Agree. I love the desperation of the piece and comment. As if the man they are talking about so seriously is not a rapist and felon. And the worry about a “progressive political wing”. How about worrying about a
man who incited a riot, tried to nullify a
secure election all because he did.not.win.
How about worrying about a man whose
favorite leaders are the US most mortal
enemies, who kill their political opponents
and despise freedom/democracy.
How about worrying that Republicans consider taking over woman’s health decisions “Christian and American”, and that party will make sure of it.
These people are insane.
Ron Jordan says
I agree Deidre, not to mention that Al hasn’t or won’t read the 2025 manifesto by the Heritage Foundation. The same agenda that Nick Fuentes wants to deport and have concentration camps for our Latino citizens, does that sound like the America you want to live in Al? Oh, you don’t believe the Republicans/MAGA’s that have told you what they will do to this nation, our democracy if elected. Wake the hell up Al, this is the 21st century not the 20th. In closing each week you write a column about what was and not what is, not talking about what is here and now staring us in the face. We are not a “Christian American” nation, we are America, for all our bumps and bruises, problems with race, gender and sexual identity, we can work this out, not shove them under the rug and by the way, discriminate in each of those categories will surely start a Civil War, that we don’t want and need. Pray that America, votes in a sensible and caring person, in Kamala Harris and not a idiot and moron named Donald and Vance!