Last night found me at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston, MA for the Boston tour stop of Dan Rather’s new book, “What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism”. Rather, at 86 years old, is an American Icon. He has interviewed every U.S. President since Eisenhower, anchored the CBS news for 24 years, and is still hard at work in the media world as founder and CEO of News and Guts.
I was grateful for the opportunity to hear this living legend speak. He was interviewed by WBUR’s Anthony Brooks. Dan Rather has had a long, full lifetime of reporting on the American political landscape; this offers him a unique perspective on which to discuss where we are in America today.
Rather talked about the differences between patriotism and nationalism, and how it can be dangerous for leaders to equate the two terms. While Rather and Brooks did touch on certain inflammatory comments made by President Trump that very day (about sh*thole countries), Brooks noted that Rather did not mention Trump’s name once in the book.
Rather took a moment to read a passage from his essay on Immigration, noting it echoes how he feels at this moment:
“We all have come here from somewhere else, and the vast majority of us are only a few generations removed from another land. Whether that is one generation or ten, it seems rather sanctimonious to claim that there is much of a difference. Not many of us can trace our arrival back a few hundred years, let alone millennia. But even the ancestors of the Native Americans are believed to have come across a land bridge from Asia — a reminder that we are a species of migrations, and always have been. Of course, not all migrations have been voluntary; many are here because their ancestors were ripped from their homelands in Africa and carried across the ocean in bondage.
Too many times the term “American” has been used as a weapon against new immigrants, especially those who look, speak, or pray differently. And yet one of the noblest ideals of our country is that anybody from anywhere can be an American. This has been, and continues to be, an eternal battle between our demons and angels for the soul of the United States. And it was present at the baptism of a nation that proclaimed “all men are created equal” but defined many men as three-fifths of a whole, never mind women of all races.”
Rather’s message was ultimately one of hope; his words last night were full of hope for the people of America and our country as a whole. When asked by a college professor what advice he would give to worried students, Rather suggested three things: 1. Find a way to help another person 2. Find a way to help your community 3. Be active, organized, and get out there and vote.
The evening ended on a lovely note when a former Army Nurse arrived at the microphone to speak to Mr. Rather. She mentioned she had been stationed in Vietnam at the same time that he was there reporting, and remembered him coming to visit the hospital where she worked. She stated she’d been unable to see him back then, so she was thrilled to have the opportunity to hear him speak here in Boston now. The entire audience let out a collective, “awww”.
The only thing that could have made the evening more perfect was if the copy of “What Unites Us” included with admission had been signed by Rather. Seeing as how there were close to 1100 people in attendance last night, I’m willing to cut Rather some slack!