With my husband working in New York City for the past two years and our enduring residence remaining in the Appalachian Mountains, there has been a lot of learning on both sides of the aisle, so to speak.
Conversations with people who welcome those who are not only hungry for a good meal at a neighborhood restaurant, but also hungry for ways to make sense of the often meaningless, have been very enlightening to me, even in the extremely red state West Virginia ( (which, by the way, was really blue not long ago). And then every few weeks I return to the predominantly blue state of New York, specifically New York City, where that certain color remains true to the basic principles of American democracy
In West Virginia, people who visit the family-run restaurant Harding’s know each other, and everyone knows the staff and the owner, well. So good, in fact, that the nourishment the menu choices provide becomes secondary to attempts to untangle the very twisted threads of a democracy that seem to have grown too gaunt to grasp. In fact, it is the absolute certainty that when you walk through the doors of Harding’s you will begin a conversation with the hostess, the cashier or some other customer who is just as eager to unearth a nugget of truth that will give them some clarity will be crucial. Still, it’s difficult to recognize the moment when the person at the table across from you is wearing a ball cap that says “TRUMP: THE SEQUEL” for all to see. However, this is the moment when we remember that while it may be a reassuring idea to bury our heads in the sand, we must absolutely do the exact opposite, knowing that the journey is fraught with unprecedented danger will be.
A few months before the presidential election, a veteran waiter at Harding’s overheard a conversation that was gaining steam between me and some other customers nearby. The conversation centered on President Barack Obama’s apparent insistence on dismantling the coal industry. After some time, this server asked to be included in the conversation. We welcomed them without realizing that their views would change our way of knowing the situation. She told us that President Obama is not trying to break up the coal industry, but is instead trying to hold coal owners/operators to even stricter regulatory standards to further protect coal miners. And we hung our heads in shame at the resulting and destructive opioid epidemic that erupted throughout the community. This moment of clarity was just one of many examples of not knowing what you think you know. It’s a moment of gratitude and a reminder that everything may not be as it seems.
And when the coin flips and I get to New York City, like Dorothy, I feel surprisingly politically at home. It’s a bit like a pinball machine bouncing off the bumper of the machine, simply trying to avoid certain pitfalls. This time, the restaurant of those I find solace with is on the Upper East Side of Manhattan; another miniature restaurant in the neighborhood called Island. I find the name comforting – a sea of displaced people looking for an island to call their own.
The political discussion is as lively as Harding’s, but what’s most striking in a city focused on raising money (there’s really no way to mitigate that certainty) is the lack of focus on the marginalized. Unless you wear blinders, New York City’s fringe groups will not let you forget, regardless of your efforts to do so. And since there are a number of private schools within a few miles of our apartment, the break looks very different for the marginalized than it does for those whose path is protected, which brings me to the current atrocity of the possibility that the president-elect will do it is seeking recess appointments for those he has selected for his Cabinet and other senior administration positions. It’s not a hard concept, but it is a threatening one.
No Senate vote is required for a recess appointment. Let me say that again: A recess appointment does not require a vote in the Senate. They take place when a president appointed a federal official while the U.S. Senate is in recess. The absurdity of this possibility is obvious to anyone who cares to see it, even with one eye open. Essentially, in this case, the president is able to bypass the Senate approval process, thereby eliminating questions and background qualifications, for example. Fortunately for all of us, the Recess Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution, while allowing the President to make such appointments, contains the word “temporary.” The downside? Despite this limitation, it is possible for a break date to last approximately two years.
It goes without saying that the potential for disasters is very high during this period. One might ask, “Why the rush?” Of course, the answer is undeniably crystal clear – for most of us. And it has nothing to do with Republicans claiming they are supporting this measure to prevent Democrats from blocking the will of the American people. That’s a bit like saying that recess is the same for the marginalized on the streets of Manhattan as it is for the privileged on the private school playgrounds.
Let’s not lose sight of what American democracy really is all about. Let’s not bury our heads in the sand for the next four years – or ever. Let’s not think that conversations that take place at the dinner table have much to do with the menu. And let us always remember that America is a country united, not divided, whether traveling on the country roads or the city streets. Suggesting otherwise is part of the problem. Let’s keep our heads above the sand and move forward with conviction.
