When I cast my mail-in ballot on October 19th, I voted “America, First.”  No, not the policy of U.S. isolationism first voiced by Woodrow Wilson as a call for neutrality in World War I.  Nor anything associated with the America First Committee in 1940, which viewed support for England and France as a fool’s quest and fascist Germany as a deterrent to the spread of communism. And certainly not for the rallying cry used by Donald Trump in 2016 to excite xenophobes and equate international alliances with global cabals out to took advantage of the nation’s generosity and role as leader of the free world.

For me, voting “America, First” means putting the country’s interests above personal policy preferences and self-gain.  None of those individual rights and privileges will remain intact if the basic principles on which the United States was founded no longer apply to the way we are governed.   Consider the following.

My stock portfolio remains near an all time high, but too many Americans do not share my financial security.  That is why I voted America, first.

Our family has so far escaped the health impacts of COVID-19 with zero hospitalizations or deaths.  But for the 230,000+ families who have not been so lucky, I voted America, first.

Republicans in the United States Senate put confirmation of a Supreme Court justice above relief for millions of Americans suffering from the effects of a pandemic.  I do not understand their ranking of politics over principle and compassion.  Therefore, I voted America, first.

The current administration can watch a record five hurricanes strike the Gulf Coast and catastrophic fires in the west, yet still deny climate change.  One more reason I voted America, first.

Voter suppression is the order of the day in many states.  For those who are denied this constitutional guarantee, I voted America, first.

Donald Trump claims to be the “law and order” president while he encourages armed gangs to intimidate voters, and his son thinks it fun to watch Trump supporters endanger a busload of Biden surrogates in Texas.  Because I believe in “law and order,” I voted for America, first.

Even though I believe in a public option under the ACA, that is way down my priority list.  This year, I voted America, first.

Although I support a ban on assault weapons, that too is secondary to an assault on the Constitution and the rule of law.  That is why this year, I voted America, first.

I could go on and on, but you get the picture.  How unfortunate a potentially patriotic rallying cry for all citizens such as “America First,” has been hi-jacked for more than a century by those who least understand what it should mean.  We see the true meaning everyday.  When our armed forces deploy overseas.  When doctors, nurses and first responders risk their lives attending to those infected with COVID-19.  When citizens wear a mask, not just to protect themselves, but to avoid possibly infecting others.

Why write this entry so close to election day?  Do I think it will change the vote of any Trump supporter?  No.  According to all the diagnostic data I gather about this blog’s readership, the two major constituencies are like-minded individuals and Russians hoping to use it to spread disinformation as comments.  (Next to Thesaurus.Com, auto-screeners are a blogger’s BBF.)

I chose this topic in the event the election outcome is not what we hope it will be, if Trump pulls another six-card inside straight, though I fully expect otherwise.  In which case, I want to remind each person who voted for Biden/Harris, their ballot was not only in support of the Democratic nominee, it was a vote for America, first.  Something for which they can always be proud.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP