Don't erode what makes America great
The United States is a beacon of light throughout the world. Its star shines because it has experienced hundreds of years of unparalleled stability.
In the 19th century, the famous French sociologist Emile Durkheim found that the more a country’s citizens shared the same set of religious and/or secular beliefs, the greater its stability. Thus, the foundational reason for the United States’ social stability and its being a magnet for immigration is that nearly every American shares its core value. The value that makes America great and promotes stability is the belief that we are an open-class society where anyone can go from rags to riches based on their initiative.
What makes America great is the belief that we are a meritocracy; individual achievement determines one’s life chances and outcomes.
This belief that one’s position in life is determined by individual effort has always been foundational to the United States. Belief in meritocracy coupled with our democratic constitutional guarantees are the bedrock of American society. Indeed, the Republican party’s successful dismantling of affirmative action and its “war on woke” are meant to reaffirm that the United States is a meritocracy; it is not who you are but your individual effort that should determine your level of success. In short, the belief of meritocracy is universal, superseding party affiliation.
However, we are on the precipice of a never-before-seen crisis in our collective well-being and stability. Presidents have the constitutional right to appoint people to positions of power. Heretofore, these appointments have generally assuaged any collective angst because the individuals’ meritorious accomplishments always justified them. People believed that, for example, attorney generals, secretaries of defense, directors of national intelligence, secretaries of health and human services, etc. were appointed by presidents because of their meritorious accomplishments related to their new positions. They earned the appointment to these critical positions, and the United States would be better off as a result. Accordingly, merit has always trumped any other factor.
https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2024/12/12/dont-erode-what-makes-america-great-column/
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