What America Is About, Part One

As I sit here thinking about the results of the November 2nd election, depressed, and out of sorts, I think about what America means to me and millions of other people are feeling so low right now. You see, we two have a dream about what America is and what it can be in the future. When we look back at the tenets that Madison, Jefferson and the other founding fathers laid out in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, we seek to live out those tenets, to be the technicians who explore and live out this great experiment in governance and progress. Today, I feel that we have strayed from those ideals because ideology and victory mean more then goodness, unity and prosperity for all. But we shouldn't change our core character, we must only communicate better with the American people. In this time of international war, economic struggle and internal conflict we must reflect on our ideals in order to move forward.

MORALITY
It is in our own path to ideological victory that we have strayed from seeking life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness not just for ourselves, but for everyone. One half of America sees the other in partial or complete deficit of moral values, intent on bringing down the moral center, but that is an ignorant view.

We have faith in a higher power or in goodness and humanity, but we aren't necessarily open expressers of those feelings, maybe that is a fault of ours, maybe it is a strength. What we failed to do in this election was communicate a basic set of tenets and principles to the American public, we let Republicans run roughshod in not only demonize us as evil atheists but also paint us as out of touch and the enemy.

Republicans have no monopoly on values on this country, even as they proclaim so. As some like Ralph Reed, Tom Coburn and Karl Rove profess their party to be pious, supporting the good Christian life and promoting family values, their party systematically attacks the economic and social wellbeing of society by selling their souls to corporate America. Cutting the taxes of corporations and the wealthy and building debt at the expense of social services that can lend a helping hand to struggling American families does not represent family values, it reflects the worst of the sins: greed, sloth and vanity.

It is with humility that we as Americans set forth our ideals and work to better ourselves and as Democrats have hope in what John Kerry most eloquently paraphrased of Abraham Lincoln, "...that we don't pray humbly that God is on our side, but that we may be on his." We strive to do good for our fellow man, our fellow citizens because we seek what Truman described as "our common aspiration to remain free and our determined purpose to achieve for ourselves, and for our children, a more abundant life in keeping with our highest ideals." These ideals are reflected not only in text of the Bible, Torah, Koran, and every other major religious text, but also in thousands of other secular texts, seeking a higher ideal of living life.

Of those 54 million that voted for John Kerry, none made the decision for the Massachusetts Supreme Court to legalize Gay marriage. While some agreed and disagreed with that decision, we still respected that in this country a person is free to live how ever they wish as long as they do not infringe on the rights of others. Many of us are pro-choice, but we struggle with the such a contentious decious. We struggle in negotiating where our faith and our democracy can coexist without infringing on the tenets of our government.

Truman was right when he stated aloud that sometimes we do not look closer at the links between our faith and the origins of our American ideals. One does not have to be religious in order to have faith; one may not need to believe in a higher power, but one can atleast believe in a higher ideal of living. This election was fought, won and lost through division and hatred. To this, I call upon all those who seek a better America, more unified by cooperation and understanding.

Democrats or moderates are not at odds with the moral center of America, rather, they care deeply for the prosperity of human life in America and the world. They believe that we as Americans must live by our own principles but that our faith and principles cannot delude us from recognizing our own fundamental diversity and freedoms of express.

We seek to be good human beings and no matter if we agree or disagree with a person's lifestyle and decisions we respect their humanity. This is reflected in Gospel according to Luke, as he explored the interaction of Christ with beggars, prostitutes and thieves. Yet these distinctions are not made by some ardent supporters of President Bush who choose hatred rather then love in interacting with their fellow man. I cannot do so, as a Catholic, heterosexual, I know I do not follow the path of my faith when I say that my best friend is gay.

While many would bring up excerpts from Genesis in stating that such a lifestyle is sinful and unclean, I only know that my friend is one of the kindest, caring and thoughtful people I have ever met. He works hard to support his friends and family, and does an unbelievable amount of goodwill in working to support immigrants who struggle to survive and provide for their children and their communities. The same can be said for my friends who are Atheist, Muslim, Protestant and Buddhist, we may believe in different faiths, but we all share a common goal for humanity.

"You know that being an American is more than a matter of where you or your parents came from. It is a belief that all men are created free and equal and that everyone deserves an even break. It is a respect for the dignity of men and women without reguard to race, creed, or color. That is our creed." - Harry S. Truman