“One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” (If you need the citation for this quote, shame on you as an American.)
by Lynn Mandaville
In a photograph taken from a CNN article about swearing-in day in Washington, there is a display of some of the books on which new members of Congress took their oaths of office on Jan. 3, 2019. Among them were a law book, the Quran, the US Constitution, and various versions of the Bible.
Protocol holds that the book on which the oath is taken may be of the oath-taker’s choice. It may be religious, it may be secular. But, in fact, nowhere is there an admonition that an object be used at all in administrating the oath of office, much less its religious bent. The sole requirement is that an oath or affirmation must be made to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and defend it against all enemies, foreign and domestic. (Thus reinforcing the separation of church and state.)
There are many examples of the texts that have been used in swearing or affirming allegiance to the United States Constitution. The first Hindu member of Congress, Tulsi Gabbard, took her oath in 2013 on a copy of the Bhagavad Gita. This year, Rashida Tlaib chose to use Thomas Jefferson’s 1734 translation of the Quran. At least three different versions of the Christian Bible were used, the Catholic Bible, a Protestant Bible, and an Eastern Orthodox Bible. And Kirsten Sinema of Arizona used a secular law book in which were the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Arizona.
What does this say about the men and women who have been elected to hold an office in this land of the free and home of the brave? It says that, regardless of land of origin, regardless of religion or creed or even lack thereof, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, each of these people who successfully earned the right to represent the people has a particular source of knowledge, faith, ideals, morals and ethics on which he or she bases his commitment to defending everything that is deemed essential to protecting this nation.
It is a profound testament to the truth that America is a land of diversity which, in addition to its varied patchwork of customs, history, lore, faith and gender identity, shares one ideal of life, liberty, freedom and the pursuit of happiness.
The induction of this year’s new members of Congress offers hope in the face of the chaos that has reigned during the past two years in Washington. When you look at the photo of the new “class,” you will see various shades of skin tone on their male and female faces. You will see on those faces fewer wrinkles of age, and you will see darker hair than currently exists on the heads of old, white men. In short, you will see a Congress that is far more representative of our one nation – multi-ethnic, multi-aged, multi-religious, multi-gendered – as it ought to be.
And, if they are truer to their pledge than some currently serving in Washington, they will serve, under God or not, with a pragmatic-yet-idealistic enthusiasm and vigor to sustain “liberty and justice for all” of America’s citizens.
A new year brings with it the hope and expectation of better things to come.
May this new Congress be the harbinger of such a better year.
Ms Mandaville
A great article to debate, but trying to stay within the guidelines of a civil, non offensive response is almost impossible.
Hence, I can only say “one has to be cautious for what they wish”. We have at one time experienced someone we had to have contact with replaced. The replacement turned out to be worse than the one we first disliked.
Time will tell if my opinion that this is not going to turn out well ….is true or false
I really hope my fears do not come true
The overarching message in Ms. Mandeville’s article is diversity, where a the real reason for America’s founding was liberty and freedom. The people creating the Declaration of Independence and Constitution are now regarded as old white men and not consequential anymore is to disallow the history of the country. These were same Founing Fathers that gave us a republic form of government that many newly elected members of Congress deplore and will do their best to usher in more and more socialism and take away more and more freedom and liberty. If you agree with this, remember, everything the government gives you can be taken away also, and in the future, that is possible. Life as we know it will change dramatically in the future, count on it.
In my lifetime, diversity has not been good. If you want to be an American and live in the USA, Then sweat and work as I had to do. No perks for race or creed. People assume you were born white life is one big picnic. Well, it’s not.
Dennis, I’m sorry that your life has been difficult as a white male American. In our lifetimes, I’d wager, each of us has had to bear disadvantages of our own circumstances. I, as a white woman, worked several jobs that overtly paid females less money despite exerting more sweat and gumption than male counterparts. As a woman I was overtly denied employment in the US Postal Service in the late 60s until all male applicants for the job had been exhausted and they were “forced” to resort to female applicants whose test scores were far superior to the men at the bottom of the male list. Oh, woe was I! Imagine if I hadn’t been white!!
Life is what it is, and if you aren’t willing to take responsibility for your lot and make it better you are “those people” you don’t want to allow a chance to come here for a better life. I would argue that life is no big picnic for anyone if he chooses to wallow in self pity. But at least give a guy or gal a chance – no matter where he or she is from – to put in the blood, sweat and tears you have to get a piece of the American dream.. This country was built by those who took a chance and came to a wild, untamed wilderness to start again, and by those who were dragged here against their will but made acceptable lives for themselves when they finally were granted their freedom. I bet you’d be a happier man if you could celebrate life in all its forms instead of holding a daily pity party.
Ms Mandaville
.Was being overlooked for the postal job really because you were female? Isn’t it possible as the military returned home from Vietnam those veterans ( as I believe still happens today ) get points a non veteran doesn’t. Hence. test scores could be the same but the veteran gets preference .
Today I believe the average percentage of females in State governments is around 28.5% and slowly increasing each election.
Is this diversity frightening?? To some yes it is.
It’s hard to compare those early peoples to those coming into the Country today. Not all entering ( legally or illegally) today are here to better themselves. They may be here to cause disruption to our way of life. Is this diversity something to fear??
Diversity and change may technically not be the same. It does involve something different, not the traditional way. I believe that is why many as myself are cautious. I ask not for pity, but an open mind to understand why I have the cautious attitude towards adversity.
One can label me with many derogatory terms and that is fine.. For now I know they have an understanding as to why I think as I do.
The postal job issue was clearly explained to me by my training postal supervisor. The lists, yes lists, were separate, and male applicants were given priority for these summer jobs. Once that list was exhausted, females were then considered. This particular trainer told me my scores were better than most of the males on the list. He also said he believed the women who were hired for summer positions performed better, in general, than the men. Yet the practice continued. At least having one summer under my belt gave me priority the second summer. Returning Vietnam vets were not part of the equation where I was hired on in NJ. I met and knew the other college men who were hired both summers, and none was a vet.
It was what it was, and I don’t bear a grudge. Things have been improving, and maybe in a couple of hundred years women will achieve parity.
Far from a pity party.My point was everything i got in life i worked for and i am proud of that. Every woman elected in 2018 worked hard to earn that job.They should be proud of that also. The American dream has nothing to do with sleeping.Self pity is for those who sit on the porch waiting for their ship to come in.If your life has never been difficult you have not earned or learned anything
Ms. Mandeville, as it turned out, you obtained a degree in Library Science instead of sorting mail for a career. I’m sure you made out significantly better in terms of quality of life and overall earnings.
I once was after a job that I was eminently qualified, but the company had to meet it’s equal opportunity goals and I was passed over for females and people of color. When I inquired about my status in regards to testing for knowledge and aptitude I was told I scored well. I asked the hiring person to place all overall scores on a sheet of paper and circle my score. He refused, and you and I both know why.
As it was, I worked my way into an engineering/technical position making far more in salary than I would in the position for which I was rejected. I saw the person doing the hiring years later and he was in the same position and still a know nothing shill, so everything worked out for me. And I’m sure many other males have experienced the same issues in their working life. So you weren’t the only person rejected.
I fear that my original point has been lost.
Diversity in and of itself is not a bad thing. Immigrants come to America from all over the world for a variety of reasons, the desired end result being a better life than that from which they came.
To lump immigrants into a group assumed to be lazy, unmotivated, unworthy usurpers of the positions “belonging” to those of white privilege, is unfair and a disservice to naturalized and natural born citizens alike.
As is evident from responses, most everyone has experienced some form of unfair treatment in the employment sphere. It happens as we as a society strive to correct injustices like sex and race discrimination. Affirmative action has been particularly painful for white males in employment and education due to decade upon decade of unfairness to women and racial minorities. Unfortunately someone suffers before and after things are righted.
A new Congress bodes well for a truly representative government in which we can expect fairness in employment, housing, education, wages and the like. I look forward to that better day.
At a social dinner Friday night, I was asked what book I would choose if elected to office (as unlikely as that is). My answer, perhaps flip, perhaps not, was The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, the Pulitzer Prize winner by Oscar Hijuelos. It was a fun exercise; perhaps the readership of Town Broadcast might like to jump in with their choices, just in case.
Ms. Mandeville,
Your point is not lost, it is a false premise.
Diversity does not assure Nirvana as you describe it – but liberals are never short of ideas and they usually are bad once enacted.
I never said or implied (nor did others) that
we are against immigration, just that it has to be orderly and legal. Your racial assertions are not becoming of a person of education and civility.
Your remarks about racial minorities and women being on equal footing with white males; when will the education, experience, and character be enough for all to be considered for a job opportunity?
When will the “race” box no longer be on state and federal forms? You want true equality-start there. Who gives a damn what a person’s race, sex, religion or anything else have to do with a job opportunity? Education, experience, and ability should be the only considerations.
Or will it be no white men need apply in the future?
I think your enthusiasm will be tempered by your “diverse” Congress. They will cause more beatings on the middle class through excess taxes, fees and loss of rights and freedoms. Be careful what you wish. Or maybe they should only target white men only?
Don’t’ Tread:
I did not assert that the new, more diverse Congress would bring about Nirvana. I said that it would provide more representative government. I completely agree with you that none of the stated differences (race, sex, religion, able-ness, etc.) should matter in jobs, education or any other facet of society. But while inequities exist, some considerations will be made until discrimination is eliminated. If recognizing the stratification of American society makes me racist, so be it. But to my mind, seeing the differences is merely observation. Acting negatively on those difference is the sin against men and women.
I do not favor open borders. I do not favor willy-nilly immigration. I do favor compassion for those who wish to strive for the dream whose privilege were born to. I do favor allowing them a fair, non-punitive way for them to achieve the privilege that was an accident of your and my birth.
You ask when experience, education and ability will be enough that sex and race need not be included on job applications. That time will be when what is still a white male establishment no longer uses those criteria against such applicants.
Believe it or not, I think we agree on immigration reform. It is alarmists who want to depict us as adversaries because of a wall that was a poor choice as a campaign promise.