Despite Its Many Faults and Wounds, America is On the Brink of Another New Beginning
- In a fitting climax to the depths of depravity we have sunk into, America was manipulated into nearly destroying itself.
“There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.”
—William Jefferson Clinton, January 20, 1993
It arrived last Friday. The official envelope, embossed stationery and a deep blue seal inside. It looked as beautiful as a wedding invitation, and felt as special as a golden ticket. I delighted in it, and in the genius of a team that thought to send such a lovely welcome. They’ve been doing the right thing for some time now, staying calm in the most demonic of storms, sheltering us with warm promises and deep resolve. Tonight we pray with all we have for peace, safety, and the light of a new morning.
I have dreamed of writing our happy ending since November, after four intense years of nonstop chaos and activism. As I dropped off my sacred ballot early, into a secure box, I felt both tears and joy. My family danced in the car on the way home, music turned up. We had worked and fought and stayed true to the right side of history, waking from the sleepy comfort we had always known to engage like never before. Our sons studied every proposition this time. Millions had marched, written, called, posted, organized, joined hands, and prayed. And we now knew how quickly our voices could be silenced. Was this finally it?
On November 3, I hid from the world, haunted by the trauma of the last most important election of our lives. The wounds of our country’s map bleeding red, inexplicably pooling, were still fresh. The crimes that followed, as every human and civil right we cherish was attacked, constantly hurt. We went to bed that night not knowing, indeed thinking we may have lost everything again—this time for good. At least there was some sleep this time, some hope that things would evolve. And they did. Although projected victories are always chased by news stations vying to report them first, this time they waited. They seemed…afraid. And calls to overturn the will of the people had already started. It made me heartsick.
The morning of November 7, my husband woke me up with the happiest news. We screamed with joy in our family room, worrying our dogs. I could not stop smiling. We The People had done it; we had kept the Republic!
The morning of November 7, my husband woke me up with the happiest news. We screamed with joy in our family room, worrying our dogs. I could not stop smiling. We The People had done it; we had kept the Republic! Midmorning, as I connected with jubilant friends and family, a miraculous thing happened. I took video of it as proof so I would never forget. In sunny, dry California, a sudden torrent of rain—and then, unbelievably, HAIL. It was so loud that I rushed to the window. So many crystal pellets spilled from the sky, making the most gleeful ruckus for 10 glorious minutes and quickly covering everything! Oh my God, I thought. It’s happened. That damn glass ceiling—it’s finally shattered, and the shards are now all over our yard.It must’ve split open from where it was pierced so deeply last time.
But, as we know, even this wasn’t the end. More days of intimidation as our public servants carefully counted the last votes. Dozens of baseless legal tousles, verbal assault that had become the norm, and actual armed threats wherever democracy was taking place. I avoided the media mayhem. It always scared me. But I remembered the words of our first female nominee at her 1969 college graduation: “Fear is always with us, but we just don’t have time for it. Not now.” And I kept going, and hoping.
As case after case was thrown out, as states honorably certified each vote, and as electors and officials did their duty, a little more calm arrived. I took refuge in virtual victory celebrations and a few steady voices. And I savored bits of joy in between heartache at things that never should’ve happened. We all knew this still wasn’t over. And we were right. After feeling like a canary in a coal mine for so long, everything I feared would happen…did. A violent, bloodthirsty, well-organized mob infiltrated our democracy at the very moment it was reaching its clear destination.
In a fitting climax to the depths of depravity we have sunk into, America was manipulated into nearly destroying itself. There is only so much nonstop propaganda and disinformation that even a strong nation can take, before steel also shatters like glass. The noise and the fallout, instead of luminous like the hail, were grotesque. The worst of our country was in full display for all the world to see. Elected officials were very nearly murdered in cold blood, children and spouses watching. Our second and third in command faced a noose and zip ties in a sea of homegrown, unflinching, raging domestic terrorism. And the Confederate flag, the symbol of white supremacy and slavery, flew at our Capitol for the first time.
We have so much to be ashamed of. The man’s voice angrily asking “where the F” our Madam Speaker is…that will stay with me. It makes me shudder. Goons leering at podiums and stealing laptops and knowing where everything was, obviously well informed…that is the darkest secret of all. But if America is messy and flawed, it is also the magical bird that rises. We don’t realize this yet, but we just ended a fascist regime in one presidential term. It took the entire world six years to get rid of another one. We did it all by ourselves, through the sheer will and sweat of our people. This has always been us, just like racism and innovation. A juxtaposition of values. We just elected the second Catholic president and the first Black, South Asian, and female VP. Included are a PhD First Lady, a Jewish second gentleman, and a deeply talented team that is more diverse than ever before. Relief, from vaccines to fair immigration and science-based policy is on the way. Women may get to have equal rights after all. Black and Brown Americans may get some level of justice. America, despite its many faults and wounds, is on the brink of another new beginning.
Vinita Jha lived in four different countries by the time she was 10 years old and picked up a new accent in each one. Her parents finally settled in Jackson, Michigan. Vinita attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she majored in English and Communication. After marriage she moved to Orange County, California, where she and her husband raised two little boys who are both over 6 feet tall now. After earning an MBA in Marketing from California State University, Long Beach, Vinita joined the educational publishing industry, where she has worked as an Editor and Marketing Campaign Manager since 2008. She is a proud activist since 2016, and a lifetime advocate for human and civil rights for all.