Week 26/27: Work

“We are getting nothing done!”

-John McCain

The past few weeks my family and I have been traveling. We went to my brother’s family’s cabin in Northern Wisconsin and all the way down to Atlanta, Georgia to visit friends. In total we logged about 2000 miles and set foot (or at least tires) in six states.

Meanwhile in Washington, the House and Senate have been unable to produce any legislation on health care. They have tried and failed a few times, prompting John McCain to utter the above quote in a speech he made to the senate, days after being hospitalized for brain cancer.  

John McCain addressing the Senate on July 25, 2017 CNN

When I heard this quote, I immediately thought about all the Americans out there that are “getting things done!” Without these Americans, our family vacation would have been impossible. Without these Americans, much of what we do on a daily basis would be impossible.

We filled up at gas stations run by entrepreneurs. We rode next to proud truckers while they hauled their loads. We bought bait from the baitshop. We ate food from local markets, which sold food from local farms. We asked questions to park rangers. We dined at an Indian restaurant. From the woods of Northern Wisconsin to the streets of Atlanta, we witnessed an America that is “getting things done!”

My favorite thing about this trip was the diversity. It’s always been there but the “us and them rhetoric” that has been commonplace lately made it more obvious to me. Do you think that a recent South Asian immigrant running a gas station and the White truck driver delivering the gas have the same political opinions? Probably not, but they still work together. Do you think the White lady working the cash register at the bait shop in Northern Wisconsin has the same political opinions as the Black lady working the cash register at the MLK Jr. memorial in Atlanta? Probably not, but they still sell you the items and give you a smile. News flash, Washington: Us Americans come from different places and have different opinions. However, we work together to “get things done!”         

At Stone Mountain in Georgia, they celebrate the Confederate Soldiers immortalized on the side of the mountain while at the same time, paying tribute to MLK Jr. and other African Americans. If one didn’t know anything about the history of America or our current state of affairs, it would just seem like a celebration. For me on this trip, it just summed up the complexity of this country.

Confederate soldiers immortalized on Stone Mountain in Georgia

Nate and James Henry sitting in Ebenezer Baptist Church (MLK Jr.’s church)  

This is our homework this week. Don’t make this simple. It’s not. This country is a hot mess full of people that simply want to work and be free. 9 people died last week trying to be smuggled into our country because they want to work and be free. We can do our part by writing our elected officials, protesting and voting when the time comes. However, on the day-to-day what we need to do is appreciate each other. We work too hard to let people separate us.

On a final note, let’s follow the lead of the Boston Police Department. This week our president told police officers that when they arrest people they “should not be too nice.” The Boston Police replied with this:

“The Boston Police Department’s priority has been and continues to be building relationships and trust with the community we serve. As a police department, we are committed to helping people, not harming them.”           

No matter what comes out of Washington:

Let’s remember our priorities. Let’s remember what we are committed to.