American Vision

The two weeks of Republicans and Democrats telling us what’s wrong with the country, who is to blame, and how they are going to fix it have left us with the tale of two countries. As the two gladiators climb into the ring for the ultimate prize, they will be fighting not only for our votes, but they will be making us look at ourselves to determine what kind of a society we want. We have never had two candidates for president like Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Both are the first of a kind with dramatically different views of what it means to be an American, and how we should view ourselves and our role in the world. Their showdown comes after the first 16 years of a new century where our national sense of self has been shaken to the core.

It started with a presidential election decided by the Supreme Court, the 9/11 attacks, Americans at war in Afganistan and Iraq, the great recession, millions lost their jobs and homes, the election of the first black president, the changing views of what is a family and the meaning of marriage, terrorism in our own backyard, mass shootings, deadly confrontations between police and the black community that is brought home to us by that shaky cell phone video that has become part our lives. We almost seemed overwhelmed by it all. That lead to fear, doubt, finger pointing, politcal gridlock, and despair about where the country is headed.

Now we are presented with a choice of how to go forward. It is the starkest of choices. As I watched Donald Trump scream at me for over an hour about the dark and dangerous place our country has become, I was reminded of a certain dictator in the 1930s who had all the answers if we just believed him. He knew who to blame. He alone could make his country great again. An egomaniac so full of himself he was trying to get us to vote for him out of fear. No real solutions. Just a rant. He painted a picture of a country that has gone to hell, and only he could make it great again. He was selling hate, fear, retaliation, abandoning allies, and what he called “law and order.” You’ve heard the agruments against Trump starting with he is too dangerous and unqualied to be president. But what should freighten us even more is that millions of people are so unhappy and disillusioned that they have, and will, vote for him. They have been conned and deceived by the false prophet.

Hillary Clinton and the Democrats see a much different America. Clinton is a flawed candidate.  Two-thirds of voters polled don’t trust her. The country has known her for 25 years. Her own missteps have also made her a very polarizing figure. I do wish we had the choice of a new fresh face, and dynamic leader, but we don’t. But the picture painted by her and Democrats is at least hopeful. Everyone is in this together. We should be inclusive in our search for solutions to the serious problem we all face. You could feel the inclusion by the variety of faces you could see jammed into the convention hall. The message was one of achievement and overcoming odds, of never giving up, of never losing faith, that we always have found a way to solve our problems. It was optimistic. No one was ever elected president by painting a picture of darkness and failure. For Franklin Roosevelt, is was about overcoming fear. John Kennedy spoke about serving your country. Ronald Reagan saw morning in America. Barak Obama preached hope and change. They all had the faults and failures. But they believed in American optimism. President John Qunicy Adams said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

The choice for that leader reflects a country divided. We must now look at ourselves, and decide what is our American vision and who will help us see it.