Not My America

 

I was two years old when World War II ended in 1945. Since then, I have lived in an increasingly prosperous world with no world wars thanks to the farsighted post-war policies of America and other Allied nations. The United Nations and other international organizations created a global system of rules encouraging democratic governments, free trade, stable economies, guaranteed human rights, and more. A few years later, eight European nations plus the United States and Canada formed NATO to protect themselves from possible Soviet aggression. NATO now has 32 members (see map). For most of my life, America was the acknowledged leader of the “free world,” and I was proud to be a part of that.

Now comes an American president who criticizes the U.N., its International Court of Justice (a primary source of international law), and other foundations of the rules-based world order that has been successful for more than 75 years—so successful that it led to the collapse of the Soviet Union and its breakup into Ukraine and other independent states. Why would any president try to weaken the time-tested rules-based order? That’s not my America.

Likewise for NATO. A president who says “NATO has done nothing for us” has forgotten that after terrorists attacked the U.S., including his hometown, on 9/11/2001, NATO nations promptly sent troops and equipment to fight for us in Afghanistan and Iraq. Denmark fought alongside us until 2021, losing more soldiers per capita than we did. A president who doesn’t cherish NATO? That’s not my America.

And what about threatening to seize the Danish state of Greenland “one way or another”? Or killing shipwrecked Venezuelan sailors on the high seas in defiance of international law? Or failing to do everything possible to help defend Ukraine against Russian aggression? That’s not my America.

Closer to home, masked ICE agents have been conducting a reign of terror in Minnesota, killing two American citizens, yanking others from their cars, tear-gassing protesters, and even using a five-year-old boy as a lure to seize his father who is here legally. Last Friday, hundreds of businesses and tens of thousands of residents protested with a general strike. Living in fear of aggressive, masked, armed stormtroopers is not my America.

When six congresspersons, all military or intelligence veterans, released a short video reminding active military members of their duty, under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, to not obey unlawful orders, the current president called them traitors who should be hanged. Secretary of Defense Hegseth has said that Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, a retired Navy Captain and astronaut, will have his retirement rank and pay reduced. Kelly is suing, as he should because he simply spoke the truth. This is not my America.

Fearing that Republicans will lose their House majority in the coming midterm elections, the current president schemed with the Republican Texas legislature and governor to gerrymander congressional districts halfway through the ten-year census redistricting in hopes of gaining a few new House seats. Fortunately, Californians, who are heavily Democratic, voted to do the same to offset any Texas gains. Governor Gavin Newsome was not pleased to cheat like that, but said the Texas cheating could not go unanswered. Again, not my America.

All this activity from the White House distracts from Mr. Trump’s falling poll numbers, many of which are the lowest since Nixon’s. Voters dislike his policies on immigration; the economy; healthcare; the cost of living; foreign relations, including Ukraine and Isreal-Gaza; and the Epstein files.

A  court ordered the Epstein sex-trafficking files to be released in December, but only a small fraction have been. What are they hiding? The Justice Department is breaking the law, which is their job to uphold. My father’s Greatest Generation would not approve. This is not the America they fought to save for me and for you.