It Is Not What It Is

Every time I hear, “it is what it is,” I am annoyed. Why do people in Gwinnett say “it is what it is” so frequently?

It is not what it is, and it is not what it should be – accepting the status quo, nonchalant complacency in confronting unexamined assumptions. It is time to challenge easy clichés that rule the land of the free. At least the City Council of Peachtree Corners is moving forward with one cliché in the right direction, in preparing to embrace a changing Gwinnett. The City Council meetings in Peachtree Corners do not begin with a religious prayer. The meetings begin with the Pledge of Allegiance. This is the way it should be.

Several months back, I inquired with a friend if all the City Councils in Gwinnett and in Georgia began their government meetings with a prayer. Deeply immersed in dissecting our First Amendment rights and discussing religious egalitarianism, my friend and I were sharing notes on the interactions between religion and political institutions. In Sudan, Yemen and Indonesia it is a customary practice for governments to open and close their meetings with a religious prayer. Responding to my query, my friend gently reminded me that I was in the South – the Bible belt. It is what it is.

Distilling further, my friend proudly stated that Hindu priests and Muslim imams in the past have received invitations at the State Capital to inaugurate legislative sessions with their religious prayers. Bemusing, no doubt a significant token step in entertaining diversity, I had to smile. I could not imagine a half-naked Hindu priest with ashes smeared all over the forehead addressing the Georgia House! It is not what it is. It is not what it should be – influencing a government culture to the advantage of the minority. It is not reality.

Government business is government business. Albert Einstein once said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning.”

The State Capital is not a church, synagogue, temple, mosque or a monastery. It is a government space supported by the public in conducting business of the people and for the people. Similarly, City Council business is government business. The local community elects the council members. In a county as diverse as Gwinnett, if separating religious life and governance embrace secularism, then in effect promote integrating of communities too.

It is hard to imagine American politics without a dose of religious masala, as seen plenty at the National level with Romney trying to charm the religious conservatives, adding fire to the tongue and the pulpit. Playing a game of "they love me, they love me not" – Romney cannot decide whether to stay at the center or in the corner with the evangelical and very conservative voters. Forgetting about religion totally and focusing on issues would be the way forward before the national election, but it may be rather too late for Romney now.

Religion is femme fatale of politics, alluring, tantalizing and gridlocking communities spinning them into mysterious boundaries of cohesiveness. The Bible belt is no different in this respect. Wooing of religious groups during election is a standard norm. Though, it is not what it should be.

For a change, Peachtree Corners is not ignoring the demographic landscape of Gwinnett County. The City Council here is working towards developing a governance culture to meet the needs of the changing community. The solution does not have to be divisive. Political imagination could also depend on the capacity of the government to imagine citizens’ needs, making them feel comfortable that they are not different just because they do not share the same altar.

The City Council meeting in Peachtree Corners begins with the Pledge of Allegiance, leaving the matter of religion to the family altar, the church, temple, synagogue, monastery and the mosque. This is the way it should be in accepting secularism and in conducting government business.

The Pledge of Allegiance is a binding cord that unites diverse community groups and individuals together. This is what it should be. Down the line, will the City of Peachtree Corners succeed in articulating a governing system that sets an example for other cities in adopting secular practices to promote harmony and an integrated society?