In 1993, the musical artist Prince changed his stage name to a symbol that represented a morphing of the combination of the circle-stick symbols for male and female. Because there was no stated pronunciation or meaning of the symbol, the performer’s transition led to his being referred to as “the artist formerly known as Prince.”
Many of us learned in American history that the United States enjoyed the reputation of being the world’s “melting pot.” This metaphor was used to draw our thoughts toward an idea of a land, a nation that offers a unique experience of freedom, opportunity and individuality.
Whether it’s due to the politicization of each demographic for the purposes of vote seeking, the emphasis on minority and protected classes for the purpose of government funding, or the loss of American heritage from a civics deficit and a global-versus-American patriotism, the hyphenated individual now chooses not to “melt.”
The “melting pot” communicated the notion of equal opportunity regardless of nationality or manner of citizenship. The blending of cultures, world views and experiences made the recipe of the United States a delightful dish that satisfied the hungry, filled the emptiness of the ambitious, and was a salute to a nation formed on the sole desire to honor, protect and govern by the consent of the individual.
Now, “the nation formerly known as the melting pot,” is led by a president who’s been said to own an “Apology Tour” in his diplomatic efforts and to physically bow before leaders of other nations.