What we needed today was a President who evoked compassion for families, mourning for the lives lost, and a unified commitment to the safety of travelers. Instead, what we experienced was a divisive, insensitive message, which lacked any factual basis for casting blame on DEI. The message evoked racism, discrimination, and continued misunderstanding of the intent of initiatives that did not dismiss merit and excellence, but ensured that merit and excellence were not dismissed in non-white, non-male, non-heterosexual, differently-abled people. We have a choice, America. We can educate and elevate ourselves beyond this. In doing so, we must cultivate and expect leadership that promotes dignity and creates an atmosphere for building the Beloved Community.