A
CITY SET ON A HILL!
“You
are the light of the world. A city that
is set on a hill cannot be hid”[i]
Since the days of Puritan settlement, Matthew’s words metaphorically
described the United States’ role in the world.
We, with all our failings, serve as a beacon to those seeking freedom from
poverty and totalitarian governments, those seeking opportunity, and their unalienable right to self-determination. Senator McCain’s recent speech, upon
accepting the prestigious Liberty Award, spoke truth to power.[ii] He suggested, eloquently, that those who
support spurious nationalism … who would rather find scapegoats than
solve problems are as unpatriotic as an attachment to any other tired dogma of
the past that Americans consigned to the heap of history.” His words seemed, to some, to be directed at
the President. His words were countered in
a presidential tweet: “I’m being very nice.
I’m being very, very nice. But at
some point I fight back, and it won’t be pretty.”[iii] Our glow dims once more.
I strongly disagree with some policies
espoused by either major party, but policy is not what I’m talking about
here. The tone of the political
conversation is debasing our values, our ethos, and our concept of
freedom. Too much talk today lacks
class, divides our people, and promotes extreme nationalism. Words matter, they convey a style, they
define who we are as a nation. Unity,
not division is the job of our leaders: E Pluribus Unum. Words matter!
Across the political landscape, on
a daily basis, we witness civility, elegance, and eloquence diminished by our national
leadership. The pity is that tens of
millions of people don’t seem to care. A
best friend tells me he doesn’t care either.
He and others sent a non-establishment person to Washington to restore their
version of what the country should be, to eradicate the harm done to it in the
last twenty years by outlier administrations of both parties. We choose to disagree, which friends can do. An unwritten rule among ex Presidents is that
they do not comment on the actions of the sitting President. This small club respects the majesty of the office. The lack of civility and the words of disunity
by the incumbent rose to a level that prompted two past Presidents to condemn
the actions and the rhetoric. They broke
the club’s long standing tradition.
We see a rise in nationalistic
thinking and action in the comments of the administration’s wingman. Simple calls for “draining the swamp”
diminish into accusations of party heresy.
The very people who should be fighting to reduce the cancer of bigotry against
people of color, various religions, or the LGBT, seem to encourage it.
America is not a piece of ground;
it is a state of mind, an experiment in self-determination, a unifying
proposal, an ideal that celebrates diversity people and thought, and is “the
last best hope of earth.”[iv] President Reagan called it a shining city on
a hill.[v]
Our history and our destiny are to be a
beacon for the world. The world expects
us to lead, to be an example for mistreated people in other nations who live in
poverty or under cruel governments. Our
administration’s rhetoric abuses that sacred trust. It dims our light.
George Washington told us that we
should place our identity as Americans above our identities as members of a
state, city, or region. He cautioned us
to look beyond any slight differences between religions, manners, habits, and
political principles. He called on us to
place independence and liberty above all else, wanting everyone to be united as
one.[vi] Our administration speaks to the opposite
goals. Their words encourage
division.
The more I read Presidential
speeches, the more I appreciate the thought that went into them, how they chose
just the right words for the time or event, how they sought to unify the
nation. Their words are elegant, soul
raising and comforting. Reagan comforted
the nation the night of the Challenger disaster that killed seven brave people. His words keep the memory alive, even for
those not yet born when it happened[vii]:
“We will never forget them, or the last time we saw them, this morning, as they
prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and ‘slipped the surly bonds of
earth’ to ‘touch the face of God.’”[viii] Today we witness a war of tweets about the
President’s consoling call to the family of the grieving family of a soldier
killed in Niger. A Congresswoman turns a
sacred action into political harangue for a personal fifteen minutes of fame. And the tweets start again. Words matter.
Mario Cuomo, Governor of New York,
who opposed Reagan’s policies, gave a spellbinder Keynote Speech at the
Democratic national convention. “The
President is right. In many ways, we are
a shining city on a hill. But the hard
truth is that not everyone is sharing in the city’s splendor and glory…There’s
another city; there’s another part of the shining city; the part where some
people can’t pay their mortgages[ix]
…. Even in dissension, there was
eloquence. Not today!
President Kennedy reminded us that “civility
is not a sign of weakness.” Though he
spoke of relationships between nations, his exhortation that we “let both sides
explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems that divide
us works for individuals and political parties as well.”[x] Civility is not a hard concept. We expect it of those we meet on a daily
basis; we expect it from those with whom we disagree, those of other beliefs
and especially from our civil leaders. Kennedy
said, “The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will
light our country and all who serve it.
And the glow from that fire can truly light the world.” We need to stoke the flames anew with
civility, eloquence, and elegance. Our
people deserve at least that much from our leaders if we are to remain a light
unto the world!
[i]
Matthew 5:14 King James Bible
[ii]
National Constitution Center – Liberty Award Presentation – October 16, 2017
[iii]
Donald Trump Tweet – CNN News- 10/18/2017
[iv]
Message To Congress – Abraham Lincoln – December 1, 1868
[v]
Ronald Reagan – Pre-Election Night Address – November 5, 1984
[vi]
Farewell Address – George Washington – November 19, 1796
[vii]
Address to the Nation on The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster – January 28,
1986
[viii]
John Magee, Jr. – High Flight - 1941
[ix]
Mario Cuomo – Democratic National Convention - 1984
[x]
John F. Kennedy – Inaugural Address – January 1961
