Robert Reich: A Holiday Wish – OpEd

Many Americans today worry that our nation is losing its national identity. 

Some claim loudly that the core of that identity requires better policing of our borders. 

Others worry that white Christian America is being replaced by other races, religions, and ethnicities. 

But neither our border nor our dominant race, religion, and ethnicity defines America. 

We’re defined by the ideals we share, the good we hold in common.

That common good is a set of shared commitments. To the rule of law. To democracy. To tolerance of our differences. To equal rights and equal opportunities for everyone. To upholding the truth.

We cannot have a functioning society without these shared commitments. Absent a common good, there can be no “we” to begin with.

If we’re losing our national identity, it is because we are losing our sense of the common good. This is what must be restored.

Some of you may feel such a quest to be hopeless. Well, I disagree. 

The moral fiber of our society has been weakened, but it has not been destroyed.

Almost every day, I witness or hear of the compassion and generosity of ordinary Americans. Their actions rarely make headlines, but they constitute much of our daily life together.

We can recover the rule of law and preserve our democratic institutions by taking a more active role in our democracy.

We can strengthen the bonds that connect us to one another by fighting against all forms of bigotry. 

We can protect the truth by using facts and logic to combat lies.

Together, we can rebuild a public morality that strengthens our democracy, makes our economy work for everyone, and revives trust in the institutions of the nation.

America is not made great by whom we exclude but by the ideals we uphold together.

We’ve never been a perfect union. Our finest moments have been when we have sought to live up to those shared ideals.

My wish for you and for all of us — in 2024 and beyond — is that we once again seek to live up to these ideals.

I want to thank you for joining me in these daily letters. Your support and enthusiasm for this modest effort are heartening. Thank you for your words of kindness and encouragement. Thank you for your comments and your civility. 

Mostly, thank you for carrying forward the fight for the common good. 

My heartfelt wishes to you and your family and loved ones for a safe, restful, and happy holiday.