I hope this little message finds you well during these troublesome times. I am grateful for your time in hearing out what I deem as a timely reminder to us, the children of this great democracy. I wish that these next few minutes will prophesize of what we can achieve together if we bond together.

You may wonder what brought us here together. We are here today amidst political turmoil, divisiveness, misinformation, racism, and hate. The multiplying undesirable flaws in our nationhood brought us here, reminiscent of the many times in our nation’s history when generations before ours united to bring forth needed change, to stay true to the principles our nation’s founders upheld so dearly, and to continue the fight for humanity, justice, and harmony.

I dare say that a reminder does to the forgetful is what medicine does to the sick.

Taking place right before our eyes is the alarming rise of groups whose ideologies mirror those of ones that have presumably been banished from polite political discourse because of wickedness – white supremacists, Nazis, Klansmen, neo-nationalists. The news and social media are replete with such tangible animosity that as your brother, I feel the need to remind us of our roots.

I stand before you, a third generation American of German Jewish descent, still young when my grandfather died but was old enough to absorb his story and stories, told in intermingling English and Yiddish, grim accounts of unspeakable horror that shaped who I am today. My grandfather survived the Holocaust, and he frequently recollected that escaping to the United States not only saved his life, but also his sanity.

As we all know, postwar America was vastly different then but it was convincingly better that what became of Europe during the waning years of the war. Flawed and far from perfect, America nevertheless held a promising future in the hands of her children who were willing to embrace change, capitalizing on united diversity and the collective aim to forge a better tomorrow for the future generations.

I would not be granted the privilege of speaking today if it were not for Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, and Robert F. Kennedy, among others. The beautiful rainbow that is formed by our different skin colours as we assemble here today, we owe to them. When hate was the norm and apathy was considered acceptable, these heroes made sure that our generation would reap the benefits of a citizenry that possessed understanding, tolerance, and a sense of brotherhood despite differences. The friendships that we treasure, the people that we love, and the mishmash of cultures that we have come to love were made possible by them. Like Lincoln a century ago and the Founding Fathers before him, we draw strength from unity. Due to our diversity, it is harmonious unity that is vital to our survival as a country and as a people.

Our ancestors had one thing in common – they fled their homeland in search for prosperity and freedom, untangled from the shackles of conflict, poverty, and ethnic persecution. It is with certainty that I therefore ask you, my American brothers and sisters, to preserve this once-promised land’s values. Instead of pointing out our differences, let us dwell on our commonalities and what binds us together. Family, friends, pursuit of happiness in a land that has been kind to us – these are the things that we all share.

We can heal our nation’s wounds in ways that are innately human, we need only examine ourselves. By holding ourselves accountable for our own actions, by treating our neighbours as we would like ourselves to be treated. By educating ourselves that recognition and deep understanding of our differences is actually key to tolerance. Understanding breeds tolerance. Tolerance results in harmony. Harmony to peace. Peace to prosperity. Prosperity to improved life quality.

Yes, we are tasked with a tall order – restoring peace and humanity in our beloved country. How shall we do it? On a national scale, we start by exercising the best gift that democracy has given us – the right to choose our leaders. With exemplary leaders comes great education.  Let us elect qualified, morally upright people to be in charge of our legislation. Education leads to enlightenment.

It is difficult but not impossible. Central to surmounting this obstacle is a deep examination of this little rhyme I prepared for you, radiating with optimism and hope, simple yet profound, a rhyming yet biting reality:

A united people of America leads to a better United States of America.