The American destiny

The Seal of the United States of America holds our national motto as “E pluribus unum”—Out of Many, One. Yet, the division wrought from this year’s presidential election undermines the feeling of national unity our motto aims to convey. Normally, the quadrennial ceremony of electing our national representative is one that evokes the deepest passions of Americans of all backgrounds and political affiliations; however, this year is uniquely different. I need not delve into the elements of both Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump’s flawed characters that have ignited the flames of enmity which have fragmented a sense of common purpose to a greater extent than most elections prior. Instead, I’ve been focused lately on what binds the fabric of our people together—and what I ultimately believe this should mean for the choice made at the polls this November.

John Jay, in Federalist Paper No. 2 “Concerning Dangers from Foreign Force and Influence,” writes “When the people of America reflect that they are now called upon to decide a question, which, in its consequences, must prove one of the most important that has ever engaged their attention, the propriety of their taking a very comprehensive, as well as a very serious, view of it, will be evident.” This is as true today as it was 229 years ago.

Indeed, through the second of the Federalist Papers, John Jay expresses the “uncontradicted opinion that the prosperity of the people of America depended on their continuing firmly united.” In this respect, Jay primarily argues for the unity of our people in pursuit of a strong and robust national defense to mitigate the threat of foreign forces from undermining the sovereignty of our nation. His aim was to assuage the concerns of those who worried that the end of the American Revolutionary War would yield a weak union open to the attack of foreign forces in order to return our fledgling Republic to colonial status. Needless to say, this did not happen, but the sentiment parallels concerns invoked today.

The challenges of the past expressed by John Jay are admittedly different than the ones we face now. Nonetheless, I’m reminded of an aphorism Mark Twain was fond of saying—“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” Our leaders worried that external forces would bring internal chaos to the country. Now, I worry that internal forces could bring chaos to the world beyond our borders threatening the goal of stability and order that has defined our diplomatic efforts for centuries.

America’s history as a nation is inextricably bound to the destiny of mankind. Throughout the march of time, it has been the United States which has served as an arbiter of hope, peace and justice in the conflicts we have settled on the world stage. When the forces of evil threatened the future of humanity through the Axis powers, it was America that was essential in the ultimate victory over Hitler and the Nazis. When the European continent was mired in the aftermath of the war, it was America that led the reconstruction effort through the Marshall Plan that generated an alliance that lasts to this day. When the Soviet Union emerged as a global superpower threatening to engulf the globe in the failure of communism, it was America that proved integral in settling the Cold War on mutually beneficial terms. The list is endless and will prove to be infinite if we stay the course as a guardian of goodness in a world continually mired by evil.

Our role as an internationalist entity promoting global harmony is intertwined with our national interests and that of the world’s; however, the retreat into our borders and the diminishing of our global influence and strength embodied in the backwards foreign policy of Donald J. Trump poses a threat to not only the Republic, but to all nations who look onto our leadership as the world’s remaining superpower. We cannot elect a president who is willing to cede our authority over our allies “paying their fair share” instead of pursuing a diplomatic channel for solutions. We cannot elect a president who is willing to disgrace the Oval Office with a complimentary attitude to authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un, Saddam Hussein and Benito Mussolini. Above all, we cannot elect a president who does not embrace the values that makes America so special: a reverence for democracy, a respect for domestic and international institutions, and a love of not only our country, but also our countrymen.

Donald J. Trump’s affinity for power in spite of the requisite knowledge, dignity and wherewithal for the highest office in the land is alarming. All the same, it would be shameful to elect this man who yearns to be a master of the country instead of a representative of the people.

In 1797, Alexander Hamilton wrote, “A nation that would prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.” The Founders envisioned a Republic where the individual is sovereign, not our rulers. We have no king or queen. We have no dictator. We have no supreme leader, and we certainly do not have a master. Instead, we have the freedom to choose. The choice in this election is less than ideal, but it is one that must be made with the hope that a better candidate four years from now will step into the White House to replace whoever we elect this year. Nevertheless, it is a choice that must be made—and I choose the hope of unity over certain chaos of division.