Stand Up and Stand Together
By Moushumi Khan
On a beautiful fall day, my 70-year-old mother and I donned our masks and casted our early votes for the 2020 elections. The evening’s chill was soon overtaken by the hot mess of the first Presidential Debate. Thank goodness my 11-year-old missed that cacophony of chaos. While our President rallied racist Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by,’ I implore my fellow patriotic Americans to stand up, stand together and vote. The 2020 Presidential Election is a moment of reckoning. The Debate unequivocally showed that the President will go to any length to misdirect and maintain power.
There is no doubt who Trump is. The question is who are we? People of goodwill may support Trump believing his policies benefit them, while disavowing his behavior. The reality is any benefit is unsustainable and outweighed by damage to our democracy.
As an American-Muslim lawyer, I see first-hand the harm to our way of life and Trump’s impact on our global standing. Traveling internationally, I have witnessed a gradual, then seismic, shift in the world’s perception of America as President Trump erodes our ideals making business and diplomacy more difficult and weakening our ability to hold others accountable. Lately I am continuously asked what is going on with the U.S., what is wrong?
Buoyed by the 2008 Obama campaign, I left the United States feeling elated. The election of America’s first Black president was unbelievable, but to be expected if equality was real. Tears streamed down my face watching John McCain’s concession. McCain’s graceful words of conciliation and President-elect Obama’s victory speech each served to unite, signaling hope and positive change to come. Should he prevail in this election, Vice President Biden must build on this legacy and keep his promise to serve all Americans.
In contrast, 2016’s election of an “America First” candidate stoked division and strife. It exposed existing inequalities and magnified the voice of those feeling ignored. My home state of Michigan helped put in office a president speaking to their hopelessness and anxiety with too much change. Some to whom our society promised much but delivered little — opportunity, fairness or mobility — felt they had a champion, while others felt they were falling further behind.
America’s identity is at stake in 2020’s presidential election while our institutions are being stressed. From Trump’s campaign rhetoric against Mexicans or promising a Muslim travel ban, to his attacks on multilateral organizations, many of which America co-founded, Trump continues to signal a ‘go it alone’ ethic that endangers everyone. During a global coronavirus pandemic where the U.S. has the most cases, America left the World Health Organization — as its largest funder and founding member.
Trump’s race-baiting tribalism undermines America’s egalitarianism. Are lower taxes or conservative judges worth destroying our foundational values in equality and justice? His policies curbing immigration or questioning science make us less competitive and more vulnerable. Immigration gives America its innovative edge and fuels our economy from the boardroom to the factory floor.
Until now, there was tacit understanding that America remained the leader of the free world because of its open society, rule of law, powerful military and economy. Trump’s America has abandoned exceptionalism, except to say he will make America great again. His inability to categorically condemn white supremacy signals that this greatness excludes me and countless others. While America retreats, far from winning, it has lost stature and success.
Bewildered nations ask if America’s move from “Yes We Can” to “No We Won’t” necessitates a new world order. Historically, longstanding alliances with like-minded partners buttressed U.S. foreign policy; currently they are collateral damage to transactional whims. The United States under Trump is becoming at best a disengaged ally, and at worst an unreliable partner. Transformational diplomacy is almost impossible in this volatile context, but is the only path to a strategic reset at a time when the U.S. faces its biggest geo-political challenges since the end of the Cold War. A President Biden will have to re-engage carefully and credibly.
COVID-19 or climate change lack boundaries, while public health and security require collective action. Global supply chains are interdependent — U.S. cotton makes t-shirts in Bangladesh — and suffer if trade is politicized.
Americans are making America great again. When Americans protested George Floyd’s unjust murder, when thousands marched peacefully, the world saw that despite their government, Americans could still claim moral authority. While much remains to be done, those few brutal police-officers are being prosecuted, racists are being held accountable, athletes are taking a knee, and Americans of every background are standing up against hate.
America’s loftiest exports remain hope and dreams. The Black Lives Matter fight for racial justice spread like majestic wildfire. We saw French protestors demand police chokeholds stop while the UK confronts colonial sins, and in South Asia conversations on brown racism and rebranding the popular skin whitener “Fair & Lovely” grow.
November’s choice could not be starker. While for some re-electing Trump is about the economy or nationalism, for others the election goes to our sense of belonging or survival. Everyone can agree cooperation is essential in today’s interconnected world. Our daughter will grow up in a profoundly different country than I did as the daughter of immigrants. A President Joe Biden can get our nation back on track to redeem America’s promise. Together we must all stand up and vote, choosing integrity and facts over rage and fear. The world is watching and our children are waiting to see what we stand for.
