A New Face in the House of Representatives

Tulsi Gabbard at the Democratic National Convention
in Charlotte, North Carolina.

        A change. Tulsi Gabbard became the first Hindu-American elected into the US House of Representatives this year. The United States has progressed incredibly since the days of  George Washington. Historically, the typical politician is a white, educated male, over 50 years old. Now people who may not fit this standard are starting to emerge. In fact, Gabbard is one of the 17% of women in the House of Representatives. However, Gabbard did not take her oath of office over the Christian Bible, but over the Hindu Holy Scripture, the Bhagavad Gita. Clearly, America has become more accepting open to consider a wider variety of views and beliefs. With that being said, I do admit that we still have a ways to go. Many people still feel uncomfortable about being "different" than most. With that in mind, strangely, America is known as this "melting pot." It is only until recently that the 'melting pot' has been reflected in our elected officials. Gabbard said she never felt discriminated against growing up in Hawaii, practicing a faith that is not dominant in America. But other kids probably did. On a trip to the mainland, Gabbard "met a man who told [her] that his teenage daughter felt embarrassed about her faith, but after meeting [her], she's no longer feeling that way." Tulsi Gabbard has set a great example not only for the Hindu community in the US, but also for people of other faiths, women, and veterans(she served in the National Guard in Baghdad and Kuwait). I am interested to see what the future brings. Will Americans set aside their differences to become one truly coexisting nation?
I will leave you with two quotes relevant to these ideas that I like.

"Show me a religion that doesn't care about compassion. Show me a religion that doesn't care about stewardship of the environment. Show me a religion that doesn't care about hospitality." -Eboo Patel
"My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness." -The Dalai Lama