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A society reveals its moral character in how it speaks about the people who make up its very fabric. When a political leader resorts to language that dehumanizes Somali Americans — implying they are somehow lesser, unwanted or unworthy of belonging — it crosses far beyond the boundaries of legitimate political debate and enters the terrain of moral failure. Such spiteful rhetoric does not diagnose social challenges; it scapegoats human beings. It trades in caricatures and distinctions rather than confronting the real, shared work of building a safer, more cohesive country.
It is necessary to answer rhetoric of this dark and demeaning character whenever it arises, for when public figures speak of Somali Americans — or any group of our fellow citizens — as if they were refuse to be cast aside, or as if their very presence were an affront to the nation, they strike not at policy but at the very heart of our common life and common humanity.
Such utterances are not merely unwise, they are unworthy of a great democracy. They trade the hard labor of statesmanship for the cheap spontaneous utterance of derision. They invite the public to see neighbors not as partners in the long toil of building a nation, but as intruders to be feared and maligned. This is the language of division, not leadership; of the gutter and not the lofty heights upon which free societies must stand.
Somali Americans — like all who have come to our nation’s shores, at our invitation and cast their lot with ours — are woven into the vast tapestry of the Republic. They work, strive, hope and endure. Their dignity does not hinge upon the whims of any one politician; it is rooted in the enduring commitment that all who live under our flag are entitled to strive to achieve its promise.
We must be clear-eyed and steadfast in facing this kind of rhetoric. The greatness of a nation is not measured by whom it casts out, but by whom it gathers in. To demean any part of our community is to weaken freedom itself. And we, who cherish that freedom, must answer such maligning rhetoric with the calm but unyielding conviction that every person who contributes to the life of the nation has a rightful place within it — and no amount of vitriolic bluster can strip them of that truth.
Unchecked spontaneous volume or endless provocation is not leadership, as true leadership demands responsibility. Particularly in a pluralistic democracy, words carry consequences, and the normalization of dehumanizing language is a dangerous step toward normalizing dehumanizing policies. The strength of the United States has never come from exclusionary purity but from our pluralism, our resilience and the ability of diverse communities to shape a shared future. Criticism of policies or governance is fair game. Stripping people of dignity is not.
