The America I miss
My experience was Norman Rockwell-ish. Yours can be too
TAT readers
As noted last week, I have been off for a few days for a family reunion back in the state I was born in, Missouri, or as it is pronounced in my family’s original part of the state… Missoura. It was cathartic and refreshing to be back with 55 of my cousins. There are more, especially if I include a dozen or so on the other side of my family. These days, finding love, comfort and reason with my rural, small town and a few now city-dwelling cousins, put some much needed wind in my MAGA era, depleted sails. Our nation can have this comfort too, if we have the courage to restore humanity and our true values, to our nation.
The America I grew up with whether in Ohio, my dad’s turf or the Northeast corner of Missoura, mom’s, inspired me. It was there I learned to bail hay, swam in lakes and watched an American astronaut land on the moon in the parlor of my adopted “Grandma and Grandpa’s farmhouse,” surrounded by a virtual pile of cousins, equally in awe. Of course, when all assembled under one roof, we shared these stories, howling in laughter and even shed a tear or two as we missed those gone, but never forgotten. We shared accomplishments big and small, victories over life’s hurdles and sent up plenty of prayers for hurdles yet conquered.
Life was simple and in my advancing years, I realize that it could be again, for all of us. Our Bill of Rights and Constitution are as Jefferson and Madison intended, to be understood by the ordinary man, not twisted into pretzels to mean whatever some ruthless politician wants them to mean. We shouldn’t have to fight over our basic rights and responsibilities. We are Americans and if everyone knew or fully understood who we are, we could be that again if we simply live our rights and insist on our true values.
Yes, there are still large parts of our nation where civility, common-sense and integrity still reign. Missoura, like my now home state of Texas, is tragically ruled ruthlessly by MAGA Republicans, devoid of all that I mentioned in that last sentence. Christian Nationalists and fake patriots make the very worst of legislatures or in fact, they disrupt our government, economy, progress and identity, by destroying all that doesn’t fall into their ever-narrowing, far-right extremist worldviews, that include little if anything of what this essay embraces. Their worldview, is in no way, the path intended by our forefathers.
My family, dominated by preachers, teachers and a version of Christianity, foreign entirely to today’s Republican Party, don’t wear their beliefs on their sleeves, like so many of today’s Christian Nationalist Republicans. To be clear, I always felt as if I was raised in a Norman Rockwell painting and grateful every single day of my life, for the opportunity. Their hugs, love and prayers, were a vaccine of sorts against the current evil being perpetrated by an entire high-profile political party called the GOP.
It’s not that everyone in the family agrees or conforms to the same exact opinions regarding our nation and her people, but the warmth, common-sense and deeply held convictions based on faith, perpetual education, learning and life experiences, keep everyone on closely related paths. Even passionate debate is accepted, as indicated when discussing Gaza with the brilliant retired pastor husband, of one of my cousins. We agreed on most and I in fact, benefited greatly from his well-considered positions. I hope that I offered him some additional insights as well. The point being, as Americans, debate is one of the cornerstones of our republic and quite literally, part of our identity. These days, informed debate is a rare and exotic beast, simply because that our current government is in no way, “informed.”
This my friends, is the America I miss desperately. The headlines we all see daily, eat away at the hope for such an America, and it can be disappointing to the point of depressing. In the face of such strong headwinds, we must all make the effort to reassure ourselves that our beliefs, represent real American values, not the made up FOX News versions, based on God, Guns and Trump. In fact, if one honestly believes in God from the perspective of any religious or other belief system, supporting the cruelty, oppression and dishonesty from a bevy of global authoritarians, invalidates their claims to actually “believing” in a God.
This may not be the America that you grew up with, but still, most of us over the age of 12, can recall an America that led the world in democratic values, compassion, security and generosity, whether the nation treated all of us equitably. The American experience is as varied as the number of our citizens and residents. This is a far cry from the current Republican administration, who inflicts massive cruelty onto human beings unwilling to conform to their aberrant ideology. We no longer lead global democracy either and to make matters worse, this administration has now unofficially allied us with Russia, the most dangerous major aggressor on the planet. Neither my mom, a lifelong conservative, or my father the opposite and who were both Korean War Veterans, would have tolerated such an abomination. For what it is worth, they often voted the same way, depending on the candidate or issue. Country always came before party.
Whether we come from rural stock, the city or otherwise and despite our flaws, what we are now experiencing violates every single identity marker of our our nation. The last time our nation split on key components of our national identity, some six hundred thousand Americans lost their lives, killing each other. The damage to the souls of the nation, never fully healed and no one returned home to a nation they had know before the Civil War. When I have the opportunity to spend time in my American experience as I did the past few days, I remind myself that at least, we have not yet come to revisit another civil war. It is though, not out of the question.
I have long held that most Americans have a redline that cannot be crossed when it comes to defending our values. I see this now daily, in courageous large and small acts of resistance. When I see my family living their religious and patriotic beliefs, not for show but because it is who they are, I am hopeful that we can save ourselves from future internal conflict. Still, my concerns run ever higher as this administration, incites and carries out violence against my fellow Americans and her residents, with perpetually increasing fervor and frequency. ICE violence, absence of warrants, masked kidnapping, absence of due process, absence of evidence or criminality and inclusive of US citizens, nationalized or native born, is but one example.
When I see the threads of Christian Nationalism digging its roots, ever deeper into the bedrock of our constitutional foundation, I am concerned. For those raised where there is four seasons, such as Missoura, we know that in time those roots creating crevices, will break the foundation when winter freezes the water in them. The dozens of educators at the reunion also know that while teaching educates, educating with ideology will contribute to the numbers of those who like those roots in winter, will accelerate the destruction of our national foundation.
They also understand Christianity in the manner taught by Jesus himself, to become a moral, compassionate and loving neighbor, not one who knows only a few bible versus that suit their agenda and then imposes cruelty onto others, via those handful of verses. Coming from farm heritage, their common-sense and work ethic teaches how to problem solve. They know that they cannot simply circulate conspiracy theories about whether it will rain enough, or too much and still grow crops. Rain, soil, conservation office inspired stewardship of the land, all are required in order to farm successfully. Farming successfully means eating, paying the mortgage on the farm or any other required investment. Understanding reality is an essential, not wishful thinking or fables about rain, water or seed quality.
I can’t imagine a farmer that doesn’t understand markets, tariffs and all related big picture economics. Again, facts matter. In many ways, farming is informed gambling and must be carefully attended to with knowledge, experience and common-sense in order to succeed. In the early 1930s, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, big government’s protectionism for farmers, accelerated and deepened the Great Depression. Poor stewardship of farmland in the west and parts of the Midwest caused the Dust Bowl and again, farmers learned painful but practical lessons. Conservation agencies were born and came to the rescue in helping farmers operate with environmental concerns as part of their farming strategies.
Although family farming is now going the way of many of our native species, the lessons learned are passed down and heeded. Stewardship of government and the land matter. When common-sense is overshadowed by greed, ignorance and an absence of integrity and work ethics, systems fail, people fail, economies fail and now, a nation born of liberty could fail as well. It is not just farmers either that heed such factors such as learning and common-sense. Your local mechanic, doctor, teacher, waiter or any other trade and profession must do the same in order to succeed. Apparently these traits do not apply to politicians, where conspiracy theories for today’s GOP mean that they will say anything in order to pick our pockets.
For example, I guarantee that if someone sat down and explained the Big Ugly Bill to working people, tradesmen, professionals or otherwise, they would not support it. When common-sense and learning are required to put food on the table for yourself and your family, no one would accept something so devious and dishonest as what Congress and the White House have just shoved down everyone’s throats.
We must stop believing in the fairy tales of politicians, especially today’s GOP, who is now attempting to overthrow our constitutional republic, via the Heritage Foundation’s, Project 2025 agenda. This disgraceful, authoritarian project is devoid of morality, support for our constitution and is a license to steal by oligarchs, both foreign and domestic. Even though the Midwest where I hail from is consistently “red” these days, if Republicans told the truth, it would not be. Empty promises and a bizarre, Christian Nationalist agenda, would not sell to rural America without the help of professional influencers. Like most of the Republicans in the nation who continue to vote R, they are lied to, brainwashed with what they want to hear and rarely receive what they’ve been promised. Still, this is now everyone’s problem.
I will close with the following; words have definitions. Our constitution defines our values, not FOX News or the un-American Heritage Foundation that preaches all manner of fake American values, overt dishonesty and conspiratorial false narratives to American Republicans. Such influence tactics leave the Republican Party submissive like zombies, to those conspiracy theories which deny them their own free will. They will not change so we must change for them and ourselves. The restoration of our constitutionally guaranteed rights, and resetting our national identity is the job at hand and we must not fail.
When I need to see, and feel what right looks and feels like, there is nothing like the hugs of dozens of cousins who live our values. They have rekindled my faith, strength and belief in our power to regain what is ours, being stolen by the The four horsemen of the MAGA Apocalypse: Autocracy, Oligarchy, Christian Nationalism and Political Violence.
I here offer my deepest love and gratitude to my family. They made me whole again when I needed it most. They exemplify what I have always felt represented our nation. Sometimes heroes come on tractors, with hugs, mountains of food and a belief in humanity that one can feel, no matter how many miles removed. We as Americans, can be this also… for each other. When we live our values, no one can deny our future. No one.
My very best for your week and I will be back with more on our current threats, later in the week.
Paul
The thing I miss most from the days of our upbringing is civil debate. The screaming, lying sound bites are exhausting. Thanks for reminding me that it was not always so and doesn’t need to remain so.
Great article. I want my country back.