S.S.
This journey started a decade ago. In 2010, when I first stepped on the US soil, it was never a thought to settle in a foreign land away from family and friends. It was just not the unaccustomed weather and culture but even the fruits and the veggies grown here tasted different. It seemed a lonely place, with quietness gnawing the mind, as I was habituated of the noisy milieu and hustle bustle of people around. But that icy solitude melted whenever my eyes met a stranger: on the road, in the mall, in a park. It usually gave way to a brief conversation, a friendly remark, or a greeting with a smile. These were small moments of human interaction but they made me feel nice and warm of the people around and the country they represented. It was a slow realization that the people here are more open to conversation than I ever found in urban centers of India. And perhaps it was the unacknowledged appreciation of everyday experiences that made us decide to make the United States our second home.
Being an outsider is always a vulnerable position. So, when things change, while the rightful citizens take sides, the settlers tend to become unsettled. In 2016, it seemed that America was standing on the cusp of making history by electing its first female President but the election results were an eye-opener of another kind. Donald J Trump became the President of the United States and brought with him an old slogan of ‘Make America Great Again’, with a new interpretation. The revised connotation of the inspiring slogan bordered on seclusion and fanned division. His list of dislikes included the migrants, females, people of color, Muslims, and liberals. Initially, it was scary because I fitted overwhelmingly in all his categories of dislikes.
The first nightmare unfolded before our eyes with chants of ‘Lock her up’. Trump supporters raised the slogan that referred to demands of imprisoning the President’s adversary, the former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Needless to mention, Hillary has been the former first lady as well. It was unprecedented in the political history of the United States and all other countries that celebrate democracy. Democratic rivalry is not like the duel of ancient times. It works on the principle of ideological differences not on physical combats and witch hunts. Trump’s presidential campaign evoked a politics of vengeance hitherto unknown. It was obvious that many got reminded of the letter former President George Bush (a Republican) wrote to the then President elect Bill Clinton (a Democrat). The lines, “Your success now is our country’s success, I am rooting hard for you”, underlined the legacy an outgoing president left for his successor.
After an initial surge in racist incidences, society by and large fought back to restore the natural order of things of the country that has been proud of its inclusive ideology. In my decade long experience, it is hard to recollect how many people of diverse nationality and origin I have met, who feel completely at home in the United States. These are the people who constitute the work force of America. They maybe a bank representative of Albanian origin or a Russian elementary school teacher, a Vietnamese hair dresser or an Ethiopian commercial driver. They constitute the American Dream of living peacefully and aspiring for a zenith of their own.
The problem with divisive politics is its very existence. It does not stop at dividing a nation to gain votes but it creates an irreparable damage by pitting people against each other. And in doing so, a ripe ground is created through disinformation to suspect and abhor anything that people do not identify with. Yes, a culture, race, or individual might be different from the other, but how does that translate into an existential threat? Instilling fear and floating conspiracy theories are the tools of divisive politics and sadly social media serves an apt platform for creating alternate reality if you are looking for one. A case in point is the theory of rigged elections. In 2016, the then Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump floated a controversial idea of rigged election, in case he did not win. Would you not call it his tactical move to undermine the integrity of a democratic process when the odds might have gone against him? He did not advance his theory then as he won the 2016 election. Not surprisingly, he is reaping the dividends of the fallacious seeds of doubt reaped four years back, to counter his defeat in 2020 elections. Since the election result, over one-third of his tweets have been flagged by Twitter for misinformation. But unfortunately, the impact of social media discourse is akin to an uncontrolled chain reaction. It blows into hazardous proportion, fueled by the followers’ allegiance to their ‘infallible leaders’.
Recently, CNN published an opinion piece by Richard L. Eldrege that sums up the mess created by the last four years of divisive politics, which has deeply fractured the familial and social fabric of the country. ‘Family birthday greetings, anniversary celebrations and graduation photos eventually disappeared from my timeline as other family members used social media to take sides. When I typed the names of relatives I’ve known and loved all my life into the Facebook search box, profiles popped up, along with the phrase “Add Friend.” Or in extreme cases, you vanished completely after blocking me.’ I am sure many would relate with the writer’s emotion.
Certainly the road ahead would be an uphill trudge to unify the country once again and placate the aggrieved without offending their adversaries. The social fabric has to readjust its wrinkles to move forward as a nation that upholds its commitment as ‘the land of the free and the home of the brave!’ Freedom is unconditionally inclusive and bravery is the choice to forgive when one has the power to avenge. America is yet again on a crucial juncture when millions of eyes must have gleamed with hope when the President-elect Joe Biden said, ‘This is the time to heal’. Mine was surely one among them!