When I started writing this Blog four years ago, I began with what I imagined an open letter from the Chinese government to the people of the United States might look like.  In a week or so I’ll have a new letter, outlining what America now looks like to the rest of the world.

In the meantime, the biggest news of the past week has been the election results, which were viewed widely as a repudiation of the self-proclaimed greatest president the nation has ever seen.  It wasn’t a good night for the MAGA-sphere.

One outcome was especially gut-wrenching for Trump supporters.  Zohran Kwame Mamdani will be the next Mayor of New York City.

Mamdani’s resume ticks all the boxes for MAGA-hatred.  He was born in Uganda.  He’s a practicing Muslim.  And he’s a self-proclaimed Democratic-Socialist.

Within minutes of the election, right-wing websites were blowing up with posts of 9-11 pictures, along with predictions of future terrorist attacks.  Also on display were predictions that New Yorkers would soon be fleeing the socialist enclave of New York to the south, where states happily live off federal dollars provided by the taxpayers of…well…places like New York.

And finally, there was the assertion that Jews would now be targeted.

Maybe after a few days, we should now confront these claims realistically—that because Mamdani’s a Muslim it makes him a terrorist, because he calls himself a Democratic Socialist, he’ll be a disaster, and because he’s openly opposed to Israeli government policy, he’s automatically antisemitic.

Let’s take them one at a time.  First, his religion.

Islam is nothing new in America.  Members of the Muslim faith have been here since the 1600’s.  Many came as slaves.  Some converted to Christianity.  Some didn’t.

Thomas Jefferson himself owned a copy of the Qur’an.  He specifically mentioned both Islam and Judaism when he spoke about the importance of religious freedom, and the need for “a wall of separation” between church and state. 

Despite what many want to believe, Muslims have contributed greatly to this country—in business, health care, and leadership.  I’ve trained lots of Muslim physicians over the years (along with members of just about every other religion you can think of).  Just like any other group, they are part of the American tradition.  Just like any other group, they’ve contributed to the history of this nation.

Today we have a decidedly right-wing Muslim directing our Medicare program, an extremist Jew functioning as a top Presidential advisor, a Buddhist serving in Congress, and a vice president married to a Hindu.  None of this has caused the sky to fall. 

It has, however, provided fodder to those who want to use religious and ethnic differences to foment bigotry.  Which brings us to John F. Kennedy.

For those too young to remember, John F. Kennedy was President of the United States from 1961 to 1963.  He was young, energetic, forward thinking, and aggressive.  He also had a serious flaw, according to millions of potential voters.

He was a Roman Catholic.

I can remember my Mother (a staunch Southern Baptist) and my Father (a man who took a dim view of just about any organized religion) discussing Kennedy’s candidacy around the kitchen table. 

As a Catholic, wouldn’t he be beholden to the Pope?  Wouldn’t the Pope secretly run the country?  Would Catholicism become our state religion, with students required to either attend Catholic schools, or Catholics put in charge of public education?

The pushback was so intense that Kennedy himself was forced to address it publicly.  At a national Baptist meeting, he said, “I am not the Catholic candidate for president.  I am the Democratic Party’s candidate for president, who happens also to be a Catholic. I do not speak for my church on public matters, and the church does not speak for me.”

America listened, and Kennedy won the election.  Sixty years later, when another Catholic named Joe Biden ran for president, religion was barely an issue.

Today, is the anti-Islamic bigotry, the claim that a Muslim mayor must therefore be a de-facto terrorist, any different than the allegations made against Kennedy?  Think about it.

So what about the claim that Mamdani is antisemitic?

I’ve searched for such evidence but haven’t found any.  Mamdani has, however, expressed opposition to the Israeli government.  The two things are vastly different.

Being opposed to the Iranian government doesn’t make me anti-Muslim.  Nor does opposition to the Irish, Swedish, Indian, or Myanmar governments somehow make me anti Catholic, Lutheran, Hindu or Buddhist, respectively.

Although some try to make the case that opposition to Israel is equivalent to antisemitism, such an allegation isn’t supported by the facts.  Yes, some who speak out against Israel are certainly antisemitic (and have appeared on far-right talk shows), but many aren’t.  According to several surveys, a majority of American Jews believe Israel has committed war crimes.  39% agree that Israel is guilty of genocide.  A clear majority support Israeli General Tomer-Yerushalmi, who was recently arrested by the Netanyahu government for exposing horrific abuses of prisoners in Israeli prisons.

Are all of these folks antisemitic, too?  I somehow don’t think so.

Let’s be blunt. Both anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hatred have no place in America. Both need to be called out and opposed. But neither should be used simply as a label to smear anyone with whom we disagree.

But all of that aside, what about the fact Mamdani calls himself a Democratic Socialist?  A major American city led by a Socialist?  It’s an outrage!  It’s never happened before!

Actually, it has.  Which brings us to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

Often overlooked by its larger neighbor just to the south, Chicago, Milwaukee was viewed as a backwater town on Lake Michigan until 1910.  Then it elected a Socialist mayor.

No, I didn’t say Democratic Socialist. The Mayor called himself a Socialist. Period.

What happened? In short order, the city established a Public Works Department, Fire and Police Commission, and a Park System.  Milwaukee grew and prospered.  Out of the next fifty years, the city would be led by a Socialist mayor for forty.  During that time, no one could argue with its growth, or its fiscal management.  Several years running, it was named “America’s healthiest city.”

It also led the country in beer production, for those interested.

This doesn’t serve as an endorsement of Socialism, Democratic Socialism, or any other political concept.  It does, however, indicate that when a Mayor is devoted to clean government that serves the needs of the people, and is committed to providing an infrastructure that allows both individuals and businesses to prosper, positive things can happen to a major American city.

Which brings us back to Mamdani.

Zohran Mamdani’s success or lack of success as Mayor will be due to his leadership, priorities, and decision making.  It will have nothing to do with his religion or party affiliation.  Those who want to prematurely crown him or condemn him based on either are off base.

But the New York election is a blow to the anti-immigrant hatred that continues to flow in the undercurrent of American politics.  The Great Replacement Theory advocates, who maintain that America is only for white conservative Christians, are undoubtedly seething right now.

In the meantime, Mamdani’s election is just one more indication that America continues to grow and diversify.  Just as it has done for the past 250 years.