PLATFORM : ‘The Most Important Thing We Have in Common Is Our Diversity’

The raw social and political divisions exposed by the home-grown terrorism of Oklahoma City were juxtaposed painfully with commemorations of the 50th anniversary of V-E Day, the end of World War II in Europe. Some commentators wondered if World War II was the last time America was unified on any important issue. In an increasingly Balkanized society, do Americans still hold values in common? JAMES BLAIR talked to a variety of Southern Californians. MICHAEL ROMO

Teacher, Norwood Elementary School, Los Angeles

I disagree with people who think that the last great thing that America did together was World War II. Not that that was insignificant, but we’ve fought many battles since then, including 50 years of working together to change the world order.

If you were a taxpayer, you participated in that [Cold War] struggle one way or another. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, we’ve completely changed the way most of Eastern Europe lives their lives. That’s something people tend not to give much thought to, but I’m Cuban American, and when you’ve done something as a country to help people become more free, that’s an amazing achievement. We’ve started the road toward guaranteeing civil rights for all our citizens; we’ve made great strides in improving the health of our children. We put a man on the moon.

I’m not a cynic when it comes to youth today, because the same qualities that got us through World War II will get us through the future.

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MAYA PAPAYAN

Senior music and dance student, Hollywood High School Performing Arts Center

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Whenever we encounter circumstances that are extraordinary, the assassination of President Kennedy, for example, people tend to come out of their everyday world and start to think. What we have in common is this tendency to reach out, but it’s also our emotions.

Generally when I perform, I hope the audience is feeling something. This past Christmas I was playing the theme from [the movie] “Schindler’s List” on the flute. Everybody told me later that they felt so overwhelmed. If you feel something strongly, you can communicate it to others and that’s what we all share in common--that we always respond to this no matter what race or what class we are.

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ALMA RAIL

Director of Indian education, Huntington Beach high school district; president, Southern California Indian Center

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A lot of people feel that American Indian people would be angered or upset about things that happened 100 years ago--and don’t misunderstand, some are--but whenever anything happens in the United States, American Indian people rally immediately around the flag. When World War II broke out, my husband could hardly wait to volunteer. Americans in general reach out and have empathy toward people. When a tragic thing happens in another country, people in the United States give from their hearts because we are that kind of people. It goes all the way back, not only from the Indian stock, but from the first people that landed here. They were strong and strong-willed people and had a good heart. I think this shows whenever anything like Oklahoma City happens.

People group us as “Indians.” This isn’t how we feel because we are each from sovereign nations of peoples. We each have our own language. We don’t have a culture; we have cultures. The most important thing we [Americans] have in common is our diversity. If we were to recognize it properly, it would unify us.

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BONNIE BARUCH

Group account director, Chiat/Day Advertising, Venice

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We initially thought Oklahoma City was some kind of international terrorist thing. As it became evident that this was not, the fascination with the manhunt took over. [One thing] we might have in common is this incredible interest in the underbelly of humanity. It was the same fascination as watching O.J. Simpson drive up the freeway, probably the same reason why certain realistic television shows have done so well--this fascination with the Mr. Hyde side of our Dr. Jekyll.

Right after the riots--the last time, at least in L.A., we all got together, thinking about how we make this better--I heard Edward James Olmos saying that what used to be the melting pot of American society had become the salad bowl, with each individual ingredient retaining its own integrity. In theory, they should make a pretty good dish, but the tomatoes and the lettuce aren’t mixing too well.

From a marketing perspective, we are all really struggling with the total fragmentation of American society. It’s not like the old days when you could run a spot on network television and know that everybody was going to get it.

Translate that challenge into the kinds of public issues and special interests that exist. You can’t satisfy everybody with one message anymore. Boy, I wouldn’t be President for anything.

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LULA BAILEY BALLTON

Lawyer and executive director of West Angeles Community Development Corp., Los Angeles

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I think there are two things that we have in common. The first is that the people of this country disdain injustice and overt symbols of hate. We don’t always agree with what they are, but we do have in common a disdain for things that are unjust. I think most people thought that way about the Nazis and feel that way about the Ku Klux Klan. The second thing is a vehement desire to be loved and justly treated. People in this country, as do most of the people in the world, rally around family, fairness, economic empowerment and social justice. We really are interested in transforming our communities so that they’re places where our families and our children can grow and be the kinds of people that we’d like for them to be.

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RODOLFO ALVAREZ

Professor of sociology, UCLA

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As humans, we all have certain underlying values. Most prefer life over death. There are pathological circumstances under which some people might prefer death over life, but in general, healthy people in healthy societies will prefer to survive.

We prefer health over illness. Whether you perceive illness to be caused by demons or microbes, most people will prefer something that makes them physically well. People in the most remote parts of the Earth will walk miles to get a penicillin injection for themselves or their children even though they continue to believe in their own gods or their own culture.

Most humans prefer knowledge over ignorance. I got a fortune cookie the other day that said, “The only virtue is knowledge and the only sin is ignorance.” That’s a universal value.