Most calls to “national unity” are vacuous pap. They are unrealistic, kumbaya pleas to “come together” around nothing.
But, as Richard Hughes Gibson wrote this week in The Hedgehog Review, the best calls to national unity are arguments. They are aggressive calls to come together around a specific idea of America, a specific national project.
kAm(92E :562 @7 p>6C:42 5@6D y@6 q:56? 42== FD E@ F?:E6 2C@F?5n xE’D E96 @=5 @?6] pD (2=E (9:E>2? F?56CDE@@5[ p>6C:42 H2D 7@F?565 >@DE=J 3J A6@A=6 7=66:?8 E96 C6>?2?ED @7 76F52=:D>[ E96 DEC2E:7:65 42DE6 D@4:6E:6D @7 tFC@A6]k^Am
kAm%@52J H6 92G6 9@>68C@H? 76F52=:D>] ~? E96 C:89E[ H6 92G6 H9:E6 DFAC6>24J[ 2? 677@CE E@ A6CA6EF2E6 p>6C:42’D C24:2= 42DE6 DJDE6>[ 2?5 r9C:DE:2? ?2E:@?2=:D>[ 2? 677@CE E@ 567:?6 p>6C:42 :? 2 H2J E92E 6C2D6D E96 A=FC2=:D> E92E 24EF2==J 6I:DED]k^Am
kAm~? E96 =67E[ =6DD G:4:@FD=J[ H6 92G6 6=:E6 F?:G6CD:E:6D E92E 92G6 364@>6 6?8:?6D 7@C E96 AC@5F4E:@? @7 :?6BF2=:EJ] p== E92E H@<6 A@DEFC:?8 :D E96 AC@76DD@C:2E6’D 2EE6>AE E@ >2D< E96 724E E92E E96J H@C< 2E 7:?:D9:?8 D49@@=D H96C6 >@C6 DEF56?ED @7E6? 4@>6 7C@> E96 E@A ` A6C46?E @7 62C?6CD E92? 7C@> E96 3@EE@> e_ A6C46?E] %96:C 8C25F2E6D 7=@4< E@ :?DF=2C ?6:893@C9@@5D :? 2?5 2C@F?5 }6H *@C<[ s]r][ $2? uC2?4:D4@ 2?5 2 76H @E96C 4:E:6D[ 92G6 =:EE=6 4@?E24E H:E9 E96 C6DE @7 p>6C:42 2?5 >2<6 6G6CJ3@5J 6=D6 766= D4@C?65 2?5 :?G:D:3=6]k^Am
kAmt?E6C y@6 q:56?[ 2 >2? H9@ :D C6A6==65 3J E96 2?4:6?E 76F52=:D> @7 E96 C:89E 2?5 :D @FED:56 E96 “>6C:E@4C2E:4” 76F52=:D> @7 E96 =67E] w6C6 :D 2 %CF>2?\=:<6 7:8FC6[ H9@D6 x?2F8FC2= p55C6DD H2D DA@<6? :? E96 A=2:? H@C5D 2?5 H:E9 E96 A=2:? G2=F6D @7 |2:? $EC66E]k^Am
kAm|J 72G@C:E6 A2DD286 H2D E9:Di “w6C6 :D E96 E9:?8 23@FE =:76i %96C6 :D ?@ 244@F?E:?8 7@C H92E 72E6 H:== 562= J@F] $@>6 52JD J@F ?665 2 92?5j E96C6 2C6 @E96C 52JD H96? H6 2C6 42==65 E@ =6?5 2 92?5]” %96 q:56? G2=F6D 2C6 E96C6i 9F>:=:EJ[ GF=?6C23:=:EJ[ 4@>A2DD:@?[ C6D:=:6?46[ :?E6C56A6?56?46[ D@=:52C:EJ] s@?2=5 %CF>A’D A2EC:@E:D> H2D 3=@2E65 2?5 762C\32D65] q:56?’D :D E96 D6=7\4@?7:56?E A2EC:@E:D> 96 23D@C365 3J 8C@H:?8 FA :? 2 46CE2:? D@CE @7 4@F?ECJ 5FC:?8 E96 p>6C:42? 46?EFCJ]k^Am
kAmtG6CJ AC6D:56?E D6ED E96 >@C2= 2?5 4F=EFC2= E@?6 7@C E96 ?2E:@?] (6 D2H E92E :? 2 E6CC:3=6 H2J @G6C E96 A2DE 7@FC J62CD] yFDE 3J H9@ 96 :D[ q:56? D6ED E96 DE286 7@C 2 >@C2= C6G:G2=] w:D G2=F6D 4FE 24C@DD E96 =67E^C:89E[ FC32?^CFC2= 4F=EFC6 H2C H6’G6 366? 6?5FC:?8 7@C 2 86?6C2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%9:D H:== 368:? E@ 962= 2 3C@<6? 2?5 F?8@G6C?23=6 ?2E:@?] }6IE[ q:56? H:== H@C< E@ 56A@=:E:4:K6 p>6C:42? =:76] ~G6C E96 =2DE J62CD[ A@=:E:4D H2D 23@FE 6G6CJE9:?8 6I46AE 24EF2= 8@G6C?2?46] &?56C %CF>A[ A2CE:D2?D9:A H2D 23@FE A6CD@?2= :56?E:EJ[ 4=2DD C6D6?E>6?E[ C6=:8:@FD 277:=:2E:@?[ C24:2= AC6;F5:46 2?5 4F=EFC2= 2?:>@D:EJ]k^Am
kAmq:56? :D 2 86?:FD 2E D6A2C2E:?8 A@=:E:4D 7C@> E96 4F=EFC6 H2CD] w6’D 366? 2 86?:FD 2E D:56DE6AA:?8 E96 %CF>A 4:C4FD[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 9F==232=@@ :E 2C@FD6D @? E96 =67E] (6 92G6 6?5FC65 2? 286 @7 27764E:G6 A@=2C:K2E:@?[ H96? H6 5:5?’E 5:D28C66 >@C6[ H6 ;FDE 92E65 6249 @E96C >@C6] &?56C q:56?[ E96 6>@E:@?2= E6>A6C2EFC6 H:== 8@ 5@H?] !6@A=6 36=:6G6 =:6D 3642FD6 @7 >@E:G2E65 C62D@?:?8] &?56C q:56? E96 >@E:G2E:@? H:== 8@ 5@H?] uC2?<=J[ H6 ?665 >@C6 A@=:E:42= 2A2E9J :? E9:D 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAmq:56? 92D E96 C:89E 286?52[ E96 C65:DEC:3FE:@? @7 5:8?:EJ] p A@=:E:4:2? 42? E6== E96 A6@A=6 H9@ 92G6 366? =67E 369:?5 E92E 96 962CD E96>[ 2?5 E92E’D H@C5D] qFE q:56? H2?ED E@ AC6D6?E E96> H:E9 2 S`[c__ 4964< E96J H@F=5?’E 92G6 @E96CH:D6 8@EE6?[ :?4C62D6 E96 49:=5 E2I 4C65:E E@ Sb[___ 2?5 4C62E6 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 ;@3D] %92E’D >2E6C:2= AC@@7 E92E D@>63@5J :? (2D9:?8E@? F?56CDE2?5D H92E J@F 2C6 8@:?8 E9C@F89 2?5 :D 5@:?8 D@>6E9:?8 C62=]k^Am
kAm(:== 96 36 23=6 E@ A2DD E9:D D@CE @7 DH66A:?8 =68:D=2E:@?n x 92G6 72C 7C@> 8:G6? FA 9@A6] tG6CJ52J[ x C625 E92E #6AF3=:42?D H:== ?6G6C 8@ 7@C E96D6 DA6?5:?8 A=2?D[ 2?5 x 2=H2JD H2?E E@ 2D< E96 HC:E6Ci w2G6 J@F ?@E:465 E92E #6AF3=:42?D 92G6 2=C625J G@E65 7@C C@F89=J Sb EC:==:@? :? ?6H DA6?5:?8 @G6C E96 =2DE `_ >@?E9Dn s@ ?@E F?56C6DE:>2E6 9@H 5:G:565 2?5 4@?7FD65 E96:C A2CEJ :D C:89E ?@H] s@ ?@E F?56C6DE:>2E6 9@H >F49 #6AF3=:42?D ECFDE q:56? A6CD@?2==J]k^Am
kAms@ ?@E F?56C6DE:>2E6 9@H >2?J 4@?8C6DD:@?2= #6AF3=:42?D H@F=5 =:<6 E@ D6?5 4964<D E@ E96:C A6@A=6] #646?E=J[ x H2D @? 2 42== H:E9 E96 3:A2CE:D2? w@FD6 !C@3=6> $@=G6CD r2F4FD 2?5 2 D:>:=2C 8C@FA @7 D6?2E@CD] x H2D DECF4< 3J 9@H A2DD:@?2E6=J E96D6 #6AF3=:42?D 2?5 s6>@4C2ED 2C6 4@>>:EE65 E@ @?6 2?@E96C 24C@DD A2CEJ =:?6D[ 9@H 567E=J E96J FD65 E96 6G6?=J 5:G:565 r@?8C6DD E@ C6DE2CE E96 r@G:5\`h C6=:67 677@CE :? s646>36C[ 9@H 76CG6?E=J E96J H2?E E@ 3C62< E96 A2CE:D2? =@8;2>]k^Am
kAmx7 E9:D 5@6D?’E H@C< 2?5 #6AF3=:42?D 8@ :?E@ 7F== @3DECF4E:@? >@56[ s6>@4C2ED D9@F=5 23D@=FE6=J <:== E96 7:=:3FDE6C]k^Am
kAm%96 D2=:6?E 5:G:D:@?D :? E96 q:56? 6C2 H@?’E ;FDE 36 =67E G6CDFD C:89E] %96J H:== 36 36EH66? E96 A6C7@C>6CD[ E96 A6@A=6 H9@ CF? 7@C @77:46 E@ 86E @? %'[ 2?5 E96 3F:=56CD[ E96 A6@A=6 H9@ H2?E E@ 249:6G6 D@>6E9:?8] %96J H:== 36 36EH66? E96 72?E2D:DED[ E96 A6@A=6 H9@ =:6 2?5 723C:42E6[ 2?5 E96 C62=:DED[ E96 A6@A=6 H9@ 2C6 2EE24965 E@ C62=:EJ] %96J H:== 36 36EH66? E96 ?2C4:DD:DED W%65 rCFKX 2?5 E96 :?DE:EFE:@?2=:DED Wr9F4< $49F>6C 2?5 |:E49 |4r@??6==X]k^Am
kAmx H2D D9@4<65 3J 9@H >@G65 x H2D 3J E96 q:56? :?2F8FC2=] (6’G6 366? E9C@F89 2? 6>@E:@?2= 92:=DE@C> @G6C 7@FC J62CD] $F556?=J E96 D<J 92D 4=62C65] xE’D A@DD:3=6 p>6C:42 >2J 6>6C86 7C@> E9:D EC2F>2 >@C6 EC2?D7@C>65 E92? H6 42? :>28:?6]k^Am
kAmk6>ms2G:5 qC@@<D 92D 366? 2 4@=F>?:DE H:E9 %96 %:>6D D:?46 a__b] w6 :D E96 2FE9@C @7 “%96 #@25 E@ r92C24E6C” 2?5[ >@DE C646?E=J[ “%96 $64@?5 |@F?E2:?]”k^6>mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.