It's Morning in America....

It’s Morning in America … again. It’s the first time in too long a while that I’ve awakened confident that our national leadership is based in reality, committed to truth and dedicated to the uplift of all of our citizenry. It’s a great day….

But it’s not a perfect day: many problems, including those exacerbated by the last Administration, remain to be addressed. For example, little more than two weeks ago and in the very same place where much of yesterday’s triumph occurred, we witnessed the most significant incidence of insurrectionist lawlessness in modern history … and we have to deal with this.

We have an economy that’s become ever more devastated by a global pandemic whose address was weakest in our country – all while our stock markets are at or near all-time highs – so w’ll have to deal with this. (Even if you’re inclined to believe that equity values can, should be and will remain untethered to the economic status of the majority, is this the country that you really want?)

We have an unprecedented level of division in our country – with months of virtually exclusively peaceful protests aimed at broadening and deepening our country’s commitment to equity, inclusion and justice followed by the storming of our Capitol by those bent on overturning a fairly contested and certified election – and this, too, must be addressed.

For sure it won’t be easy, but then the work of creating opportunity and well-being for over 330 million people never is. And yet it’s some of the most noble, edifying and elevating work that we can and will do.…

I’m gratified that it appears that President Biden has started with an appropriate and constructive approach by grounding his assessment of our country in reality while calling for unity as we come together to address both our challenges and opportunities. I’m further gratified that he appears to be assembling an expert Administration, comprised of competent leaders with a demonstrated commitment to excellence and uplift. And while there are no guarantees in life, assembling a talented team, listening to your (citizen-)clients in being innovative and the solutions that you deliver certainly augurs well.…

But this opportunity is also personal: what will each of us do to encourage greater, more mutually beneficial progress? What will you do to encourage the expansion and extension of Morning in America?

I, for one, will focus on three commitments:

The first of my commitments is to continue to be an informed and engaged citizen (which, among other things, means that I’ll vote every change that I get and advocate for ever more others to be able to do so as well). Our democracy depends on this.

The second of my commitments is to continue to be an impactful leader in my community and in organizations committed to uplift whose missions I work diligently to advance (toward the mutually beneficial goal of ever greater equity, inclusion and justice in our society and world). Our democracy depends on this, too.

The third of my commitments is to focus my efforts primarily on the Next Generation so that they can benefit from my experience as well as avoid my mistakes as they, too, seek to redefine the American Dream in ever more equitable, inclusive and just ways.

On what will you focus?

If the impact of your contributions (in the aggregate) increases the well-being of us all, I welcome the diversity of applied ingenuity, energy and effort and pledge to support it.

I further pledge to engage with you in such a way that though we likely won’t always agree, we will do so agreeably. It truly is time to reestablish civility in our (admittedly imperfect) union.

Finally, I pledge to pursue the common interest in addition to my own so that we can rise as I rise and to hold myself accountable to defining this ‘we’ as expansively as possible.

After so much carnage, it may seem strange to think and act in terms of constructiveness and contribution, but I’m committed to doing it … and I ask you to join me in this eternal effort to create a more perfect union.

Our diversity implies that there’ll be some disagreement, but it doesn’t have to result in rancor. Our diversity implies that there’ll be challenge as we change, but it doesn’t have to divide us further. Our diversity implies that there’ll be an incredible amount of creativity that we’ll have to parse, but it doesn’t have to lead us to focus on the benefit of the few versus that of the many. Our diversity implies that this journey together will rarely be dull and will likely be too exciting at times and not always for the right reasons, but therein lies our strength: the ability to come together, to wrangle together, to work together and, ultimately, to succeed together.

Isn’t this the American Dream? It is to me….

Yes, it’s Morning in America: what challenge or opportunity do you want to tackle together first?