This is Not America

Dear Donald,

Good morning! It’s a bright new day with crisp fall weather – perfect for getting your nascent administration on the right track. I hear there’s been some shakeup in your transition team, and I want to encourage you to run with this momentum, and keep on shaking it! Yesterday I encouraged you to go with qualified appointees who represent reality-based thought. Today I want to take it a step further and encourage you to go with appointees who represent America.

When we talk about America, I want to make one thing clear: YOUR VOTERS ARE NOT AMERICA. Let me say that again, but this time I’ll use a more civil tone, because I really want us to be friends. Your voters are not America. Your voters are PART of America. They live in rural areas and are almost exclusively white and Christian. They have legitimate views that should be considered and interests that should be protected. They deserve your advocacy and they deserve a voice in your government. But they are not the whole picture, and they are not the only America to which you are now beholden.

So what is America?

America is a land of racial and ethnic diversity. Of our 319 million citizens, non-Hispanic whites make up 62% of the population. That means that more than a third of our population is comprised by people of color. That’s a lot of people - what are you doing to include them in your administration? So far, frontrunners for cabinet positions have only included two non-whites. And one of them – my old friend Ben Carson – officially peaced out on you yesterday. Who will represent their voices in your administration? Or do you figure that you already know all you need to know because your casinos employ so many Mexicans? Sorry, that was unkind. But that’s what people are saying, Donald – that your lily-white government is going to be woefully out of touch with major segments of the population. And I’m inclined to agree.

America is a land of religious freedom. 76% of Americans identify as Christian, leaving us with a quarter of the population – that’s 80 million people, Donald – who are non-Christian. This includes people who are Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, atheist/agnostic, you name it. These are the people who rightfully worry when you say things like, “Hey – you know who would be great at running the Department of Education? A Christian fundamentalist who wants to teach kids about Biblical creationism!” I’m lumping Christians together into a group – but we both know that Quakers, for example, hold very different beliefs than Southern Baptists. So even within the Christian majority, there are a wide range of perspectives and beliefs, some of which are over-represented among your advisors and allies, and some of which aren’t represented at all. You need to consider the religious diversity in our country and make sure that diversity is reflected in your administration.

America is a land of equality. Our nation was founded on the principle that “all men are created equal,” but we’ve had a long uphill battle these past 200+ years to actually make it that way. First we had to redefine “men” to include “women.” Then we had to agree that people of color are fully (not three-fifths) human. But even then, it was another 100+ years before we got around to considering the notion that people of color are not only human, but actually as human as white people, and deserving of the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities. Later we turned our attention to the LGBT community, who still live under towering threats to recent hard-won victories. Of course, being granted equal rights is very different from actually having them – it’s not like everyone scooted over and made room for us at the round table. So we continue to fight (and fight, and fight, and fight) for our place at that table. So come on, Donald – let’s get real here. You’re filling the table with white dudes – one person of color and a handful of women? It’s not enough.

Your government needs diversity that reflects the population of our great nation. Our diversity is a strength, Donald – not a weakness. Yet Trump’s America does not seem to appreciate that fact. You know what we see in your America? We see you appoint a top advisor who is irrefutably a racist, sexist, and homophobe. We see your supporters attacking Muslims in your name. We see graffiti proudly proclaiming “Black lives don’t matter and neither does your vote.” We see the KKK planning a parade to celebrate your victory. THIS IS NOT AMERICA, DONALD.

Do the right thing. Cherish diversity and inclusion in your cabinet - Include minorities, women, moderates, liberals. You don’t need to surround yourself with toadies and yes-men. You need people who think differently from you, who will tell you the truth, and who will stand up to you when you’re wrong. But most importantly, you need people who send a clear message that you are willing to look beyond your voter base and govern ALL of America.

Sincerely yours,

Jules