A letter from your republican friend and family member

Yes, I am a card-carrying republican who voted for Donald Trump. There I said it and may be as was the case with my granddaughter Emi, I might be the only person you know who is a republican and who has admitted to voting for Trump.

Now, you might wonder why a first-generation brown skinned immigrant from India who fervently believes in climate change, who supports universal health care and who is fully in favor of a minimum living wage would be a republican. Well, I can say it is because I also believe in free enterprise, fair trade and legal immigration but for me the overwhelming reason for being a republican is because I believe in equality and that we are all equal regardless of our gender, sexual orientation, religion, origin of birth and yes our skin color. Confused! Is it not what the democratic party believes in? Well, not really. Please allow me to elaborate and make my case.

The democratic party has taken up the cause of “Black Lives Matter” in the wake of the heinous and tragic acts committed by some bad apples in law enforcement. The party has explicitly or tacitly endorsed the call for special treatment for a segment of the American population based solely on the color of their skin which includes preference in admissions to colleges and universities, allocation of a minimum number of black executives in senior management positions and the boards of those companies. It even extends to such things as TV shows, advertisements, and Hollywood movies where they would like to mandate representation based solely on skin color. This is all in the name of equality and words like social justice, systemic racism, leveling the playing field and other similar clichés.

I have a problem with this whole skin color-based conversations. Was it not Dr. King who in his iconic “I have a dream” speech said,

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!"

Dr. King went on to say,

“I still have a dream, a dream deeply rooted in the American dream – one day this nation will rise up and live up to its creed, "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream ...

Dr. King gave that speech some sixty years ago when the color of the skin did keep many from attaining their true potential and preferences based on it might have been justified.  But this country has come a long way since Dr. King delivered that speech at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial. We have not only had a president who was black but now have a Black/Asian woman as the vice president elect. Many cities, counties, school boards across the land have black and brown leadership. So, I have a problem in buying into the systemic and structural racism dogma and the special treatment demanded in the name of that.

Now, perhaps society and the country need to do more for those who have been left behind. But I fervently believe that it must not be based on the color of the skin of the people who need our help. In my view “All Lives Matter” Black, Brown, Yellow, White, and yes Blue.

I also have a dream. I dream of a day when if a rogue law enforcement officer kills another human being who is begging for his life saying “I cannot breathe” the media would not sensationalize it by stressing on the color of their skins but by the abhorrent actions of a police officer on a civilian whose life they have sworn to protect. I dream of a day when we have the courage to look at those who have been incarcerated and understand and remedy the root cause for it rather than taking the easy way out and laying it on the color of their skin. I dream of a day when we look deeper to understand why a special segment of our fellow citizens are succumbing to this deadly virus – perhaps due to some underlying medical condition like diabetes, hyper tension and obesity and not chalk it up to the color of their skin.

I hope it would not take another sixty years for Dr. Kings dream to come true where the color of our skin does not matter and we feel at home in saying and accepting that “All Lives Matter.” We are not there yet but I am hopeful we will get there. But, until then, Emi, your grandpa will continue to be a card carrying republican and hope someday you would understand why.

But that does not stop me from supporting our new president elect. This is our beautiful and cherished democracy at work. Joe Biden is my president, and I am rooting for him. My ask to you, my friends and family, is that you join me and do the same – no matter which side of the aisle you sit!