As my country grinds its way through the last few days of the the midterm election’s political campaigns, I find myself more exhausted than ever by the president’s lies in tweets and speeches, the general fear-mongering of his supporters, the demonizing of immigrants and refugees, the accusation that hardworking journalists are sowing discord as opposed to the leaders who actually call for violence in their overblown rhetoric. Enough. Have we forgotten who we are as Americans? What happened to the idea that we are a nation built not on ethnic identity or religious zealotry, but on an enlightened philosophy that all humans are created equal? Can we once again strive to be a shining city on a hill, a people who open our arms to the world’s huddled masses? If not, what are we? Why are we here?