Lisa WhittenI spent much of the summer of 2018 wandering the hallowed halls of the United States Capitol.
Leading constituent tours of the Houses of Congress is one of the primary tasks of congressional interns – some love it and some resent it. Urban legend has it that some in the latter category began a secret competition with their fellow interns aimed at getting unsuspecting tour groups to believe the most audacious lie. As a child of Belfast, my favourite contender in this fake news contest was that the stunning, sparkling chandelier that hangs in the Small Senate Rotunda, features approximately 14,500 crystals and weighs nearly 2,000 pounds, had been found in the wreckage of the Titanic, hauled from the ocean floor, restored and gifted by the generous Irish to the US legislature. A truly impressive ‘alternative fact’.
Putting aside the mythical antics of interns, one of my lasting memories of that summer spent leading tour groups is of Americans’ pride in their origin story. Alongside having grace for this Northern Ireland native to narrate their national history, every single group of constituents seemed to behold the corridors of the Capitol with a patriotic awe and reverence. Theirs was not the sort of patriotism that asserts, or incites, but one that inspires. At least, it inspired me; indeed, if I am honest, it humbled me.
Hailing from a political culture where sometimes, even the air seems inherently cynical, the Americans’ belief that there was something fundamentally good about America, something worth preserving, improving and defending, inspired me. Whether Democrats, Republicans or Independents, commitment to the idea of America did not waver.
Partly because of my experience in the Capitol, I wept last week as I watched the destruction and desecration of those same hallowed halls, the home of US democracy.
It was not the actions of protestors that moved me most – tragic though their consequences were – rather it was the anger on their faces and vehemence in their words as they invoked America as their cause. The very same reverent commitment to a patriotic ideal that had inspired and humbled this outsider seemed now to be the driver of a division as deep as it is dangerous.
Before the election, polling by Pew Research found that eight-in-ten US citizens believed that they disagreed with those on the opposite side of the political divide on the basis of core American values. The figures were 80% and 77% of Biden and Trump supporters respectively. Respondents were also asked if they thought a win for the other candidate would do “lasting harm” to their country – 89% of Trump supporters and 90% of Biden supporters believed it would. Yet more evidence, if any were needed, that America’s divisions are not going away anytime soon.
Very often, external analysis suffers from the inevitable limits of an outsider’s perspective. Neither criticism nor condemnation is the intent here. Where I am from is also deeply divided. Progress in Northern Ireland has only ever been made by agreeing to disagree and living together anyway. Constructive ambiguity on some issues and compromise on others have brought us this far but make no mistake, the progress is slow, and the peace is fragile.
Maybe, just maybe, there is something to be learnt by the United States from the little island that owes it so much, but either way, it is not for me to say.
Underneath the Capitol building, there is an empty grave. It was built for the remains of George Washington but his will specified that he wanted to be buried at his home along the Potomac River in Mount Vernon, a wish that was honoured by his descendants. It is perhaps strange thing to write but I have thought about that tomb a lot this past week.
As an image, I think it could be read in two ways. On one hand, a grave within the symbolic foundations of American democracy could be a fitting image for a time when polarisation, anger and distrust seem to be in vogue. But, borrowing from the Christian tradition, an empty grave at the heart of the Capitol could also be seen as a symbol of resurrection, a hopeful indication that the patriotic ideas held in such esteem by Americans of all stripes could still inspire their renewal.
Taking inspiration from my days on Capitol Hill, one other statistic gives me reason to believe that the second reading will prove the more fitting. When asked whether or not their preferred candidate, if elected, should address the concerns of all Americans even if this meant disappointing some voters, 89% of Biden supporters and 86% of Trump supporters agreed. It seems government of the people and for all of the people, still has purchase.
From one deeply divided place to another, that alone is reason to hope.
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