MAGA

A few weeks ago, a group of predominantly White, Catholic high school boys, many wearing
Make America Great Again (MAGA) hats, attended a pro-life rally in Washington, DC. They were
harassed by a group of Black adults that call themselves Hebrew Israelites. In turn, the Catholic
boys had a bit of a stand-off with a Native American man beating a drum that had just attended an
Indigenous Peoples march. This whole situation went viral and sides have been taken.

Students from Covington Catholic in “stand-off” with Native American Nathan Williams

I know what it’s like to chaperone a group of teenagers in Washington DC during tumultuous times.
I chaperoned 24 mostly Hispanic students at President Trump's inauguration. I can relate. I am also
Catholic and attended an all boys, predominantly White Catholic high school. My school was once on
the cover of the Chicago Tribune for chanting Buckwheat to a Black basketball player of an opposing
team. I can relate.  

Needless to say, this situation hit close to home.

Washington DC is a difficult place to be with teenagers. People shout at you. Everywhere you turn
there are signs and people with megaphones saying the darnedest things. It’s hard enough as an
adult to keep your composure. Think about yourself at sixteen. I cringe when I think about how I might
have reacted in this situation and I thank God that no was recording everything I said and did when I
was sixteen.

I also, know what it’s like when the media paints a picture of the entire school and its students based
on one event. This doesn't feel fair and it’s not.  

People were quick to condemn or defend either the high school students or Nathan Williams. I am
not writing to condemn or defend anyone. I think taking a side here simplifies the complexity of this
situation. The power of symbolism is at the heart of this issue. The evolution of “Make America Great
Again” (MAGA) is something we should all be concerned about.     

I can’t say I was there when MAGA was born, but I can say that I was there when MAGA became
official. I remember walking through DC during inauguration week and seeing folks don the MAGA hat.
Our bus driver wore it proudly. It was divisive then but it was simply a campaign slogan. It made my
students feel uneasy, but I don’t think it invoked ideas of oppression, injustice or hatred. It was normal
for Trump supporters to celebrate their victory at the inauguration with the symbol of the campaign.
Much like Obama supporters wore “Yes We Can” gear at his inauguration.

The difference here is that this slogan has morphed into something else. Most campaign slogans die
after the election. This one, however, has gained steam. Why? Because instead of approaching the
presidency as an opportunity to unite the country, like most presidents do, this president has doubled
down on his divisive rhetoric and continued to pursue policies that are oppressive, unjust and filled with
hate. He has done all this while consciously and deliberately strengthening his brand. MAGA. Can you
remember other presidents constantly referring to a campaign slogan in the middle of their presidency?
Or promoting any symbol other than that of the United States Flag? No.

The scary part is that folks wearing MAGA gear believe they are being patriotic. Anyone reading this
that wears MAGA gear would argue with me that they are simply proud Americans that support their
president. I’m sure they are proud Americans. However, I would argue that the symbol does not
represent the country. It represents this president and this president alone. That, in its nature is
unAmerican. We are a republic. We are loyal to our Constitution not to our leaders. We fought a
revolution for that, remember? Our flag represents our Constitution. MAGA represents Donald Trump.

Secondly, folks that support the president and wear MAGA gear might argue that his policies and
rhetoric are not oppressive, unjust or filled with hate. It’s true. Not everything he does is oppressive,
unjust or filled with hate. However, he did tried to ban Muslim Americans from traveling abroad and
their family members from visiting our country. Specific rules for specific groups of people, is oppression.
He also tried to separate children from their parents at the border. Not affording asylum seekers their
Constitutional rights, is injustice. He once called White supremacists “very fine people”. Complimenting
people that hate based on skin color, is hate.

Some Americans may like his tax cuts, his judicial choices or anything else he has done. However, it
is impossible to separate those things from the oppression, injustice and hate. This is the power and
danger of symbolism. When those boys walked through DC with MAGA hats on, I do not believe that
they understood how powerful that symbol has become. MAGA has become a wedge separating
Americans from each other. Regardless of our politics, this should concern us.

Two years ago I attended Trump's inauguration. A quote etched in stone at the National Mall spoke to
me then. I hope it speaks to all Americans now.   

"We must scrupulously guard the civil rights and civil liberties of all citizens, whatever their
background. We must remember that any oppression, any injustice, any hatred, is a wedge designed
to attack our civilization."

-FDR