“You hate our country” and other dividing lines

What does it mean to love our country?

It’s certainly not a new question, but one I’ve been thinking about as we prepared to commemorate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding.

Americans have much to be proud of – and much that brings us shame. Acknowledging that latter part makes some people very angry.

Readying to launch into the Farragut 4th of July Parade route early Saturday morning, I told our volunteer cavalry that it is an act of patriotism to not only want better for our country, but to show up and work for it.

This parade felt different than many others we’ve done. While plenty of folks were excited to see us, many more were subdued. I saw one man telling his children, whose shirts were plastered with “Marsha Marsha Marsha” stickers, not to wave at us. Even as we smiled, wished them a happy Fourth, and gave them candy.

Another man about my age, upon locking eyes with me, gave me an aggressive thumbs down and shouted out across the asphalt, “You hate America.”

I wasn’t surprised.

That’s what Donald Trump says about people like me, who have the audacity to disagree with his vision for our country’s future. It’s a line frequently parroted by Tim Burchett when he’s on camera.

It’s a line repeated on right-wing media stations intended to divide and dehumanize. To make us see each other as enemies, not as neighbors — as people who also love our country and want the best for it, even if we may disagree on what it looks like and how we get there.

When Donald Trump or Tim Burchett says it, I see it for what it is: a tool intended to sow division and discord. When my East Tennessee neighbor says it, I’m saddened it has been deployed so effectively.

Because, unsurprisingly, I do love my country. I wouldn’t be running for office, working 60+ hour weeks, giving up a year with my business and precious time with my loved ones if I didn’t love our nation.

Even though time is scarce on the campaign trail, I’ve been slowly making my way through the book These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore. And it has reminded me that it’s just about the most American thing to disagree – loudly – about the future of our country.

Our beloved and revered Constitution (that our elected officials and service members vow to uphold, of which I keep a copy of in my bag) barely scraped through tumultuous months of debate and razor-thin ratification margins in the states.

Our framers couldn’t agree on how democratic to make this new government. How to apportion representation. How to deal with the horrific institution of slavery. They made decisions and enshrined values that we later disagreed with, and changed.

The constitutional republic created by the framers included representation only for white men. The reason that anyone else is included in this governance for and by the people is because our ancestors saw that this experiment was unfinished, and they fought for something new and something better.

I know the moment we are in feels unprecedented. But the process of working towards a more perfect union, and fighting for who all is to be included in this experiment in democracy – and what we believe the role of government to be – is something that every generation of Americans has done. Not something every American has done, mind you. Every generation of Americans. Some people sit these decisions out, giving more weight and voice to those who do step up and speak out.

Governance of, for, and by the people will never be easy. It will never come without debate and deliberation and effort. It’s up to us to ask what we hope for the present and the future, and work to make it so. As a reminder, here’s what I hope for and am working so tirelessly towards. If you share my vision, won’t you join me in working towards it?

Today is the deadline to register to vote for the August 6th election, in which we will elect local officials and vote in the state and federal primaries.

May you be driven by love of our country and your fellow Americans to take up the mantle of our democracy.

Because now it is our turn.

Michaela

Check your voter registration and get more information at: sos.tn.gov/elections

Key Election Dates:

Local & County General, State & Federal Primary

July 7: Voter registration deadline

July 17 - August 1: Early voting period

July 27: Absentee ballot request deadline

August 6: Election Day!

State & Federal General

October 5: Voter registration deadline

October 14 - 29: Early voting period

October 24: Absentee ballot request deadline

November 3: Election Day!