The promise of America was that the policies were supposed to support the people.
It’s not really a question of left or right. It’s about whether we believe in this American promise — a place where anyone can achieve greatness, no matter the circumstances into which they were born.
Not everyone was included in the original vision of America. Very obviously, some were expressly excluded, even to the point of death. However, hopes and dreams spread. I imagine this happened because the founding ideas were good — freedom from religious persecution, freedom to share your perspective without fear of retribution from the government, and the freedom to keep what you’ve worked for.
Two hundred fifty years ago, the founding fathers understood the harm that could happen in a country ruled by an unchecked king or a person with unlimited and unquestioned powers. They understood the consequences of not having an independent and truth-telling press.
The country’s founders wanted freedom of speech and the ability to peacefully dissent without facing repercussions from the government. They wanted to elect a leader instead of being led by a king with a so-called divine birthright.
Some of the recent Supreme Court decisions seemingly reflect a return to increased executive authority. The recent Trump v. Slaughter decision puts more power in the hands of the person holding the top seat of the executive branch.
There are many other deeply rooted issues to resolve in America. The meritocracy this country claimed has not yet been fully achieved. Nor have we created a justice system that is fair to all, regardless of class or race.
Yet, the promise of America and what it could be remains.
Call us naive, but I think many of us strongly believed in the American Dream. For some, it motivated them to keep pushing each day to create a better life for themselves. For others, it fueled the passion to make the world better for future generations, in a world they may never live to see.
I come from a long line of hardworking Americans. I can trace my family back through multiple generations born in the United States. My family is made up of military and Navy veterans, postal carriers, business owners, city employees, community advocates, nurses, factory workers, educators and so on. We come in multiple ethnicities and all shades, from the palest alabaster to the deepest dark chocolate. We are America.
I just returned from a trip to New York, where I walked the Brooklyn Bridge in the rain with people of different ages, languages and ethnic backgrounds.
I had a layover in Chicago, home to two baseball teams and the newly opened Obama Presidential Center. This center celebrates two people whose lives are testaments to what America can be, a place where two people reached heights that no one imagined. They were not born into wealth or privilege, but their vision and effort led Barack Obama to the highest office in the land and made both Barack and Michelle Obama historic figures.
The trip reminded me that the best part of this 250-year American experiment is us, here, together.
We don’t always have to agree with one another on every policy or lifestyle choice, but we can agree on the freedom to make those choices. And we can agree that the American Dream is still worth making a reality.
Camike Jones is editor-in-chief of the Indianapolis Recorder.