On October 27, 1976, President Jimmy Carter stated in his speech in Pittsburgh, that “We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.” Regrettably, at present, it seems like America is regressing from what this nation is supposed to represent and appears to desire that each American instead be a cookie-cutter cutout of an image that is not a true representation of what being an American actually is, but rather seems to prefer surface characteristics that only some are born with, thus to the exclusion of many.
To believe that a great nation needs to be all of the same race, all of the same religion, and all on the same page is to believe that redundancy should be the primary focus of that nation, under the misguided belief that if everybody looked the same, thought the same, and did things the same, that this would thus represent some sort of paradise; whereas, in actuality, we find just through the family dynamic, that even those related by the same bloodline are frequently unable to get along swimmingly, all of the time, and indeed family disputes can not only be ugly but can also be quite destructive, which is why those that yearn for a nation in which we all look the same, are not only yearning for that which will never come to fruition, but clearly are the very same type which care not for the content of one’s character, but rather embrace those that simply look like they do, as if that would thus bring forth peace and justice.
In life, we will be challenged and part of having to face those challenges is the sure recognition that how we overcome such, defines who and what we really are, which is one of the reasons why there are differences between us, not so much as to separate us, but rather as a fair opportunity to see if we can find a way to achieve common ground, from one to another. The basis in America for the coming together of those with different backgrounds resides in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence of this land, which emphasizes that we have not only sovereignty within our own person, but that we have been graced by our Creator with free will, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which thereby means that we are meant to take that which we have been gifted with, and create something good out of it, especially by reaching out to others so that together we can accomplish better and more impressive achievements in the recognition that each of us has our own individual talents that can be buttressed by others that complement what we are trying to achieve for the greater good.
The contrast between light and dark, between good and bad, between right and wrong, is there to clearly delineate that what we do makes a difference. So then, those who recognize that we are meant to work together for the common good are those who are on the same page and are astute enough to comprehend that our differences make for the opportunity to create a collaborative mosaic that is inclusive because of that diversity of different ideas and thoughts, which thereby provides equity for all, because each has their own say which is thus imprinted in that most beautiful of mosaics.