Christmas in the Republic
Enjoying the benefits of an open society.
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the (Nicastro) house, there were stomachs a-grumbling; we’d have eaten a mouse.
To sate our appetites, my brother and I went wandering around DUMBO in search of an open restaurant, pizza parlor — we’d have even settled for Shake Shack. Alas, none of the above were open. What to do?
As we shuffled back to our home, our eyes fell upon a beacon of hope: a halal food cart. The vendor, a Muslim emigrant from Egypt, explained to me that Christmas Eve and Christmas are great days to do business because most of the competition is shut down, busy celebrating Christmas themselves. Despite operating his business during Christmas Eve and Day, the vendor emphasized that, though a Muslim, he celebrates the holiday with his own family and wished me a very merry Christmas. I wished him the same and, in the spirit of giving, gave him a tip.
As I walked back home, I thought to myself about the interaction and realized the halal food vendor and my interaction with him exemplify some of the most foundational virtues of American culture: entrepreneurship, work ethic, religious freedom, pluralism, and mutual respect.
Thanks to the (relative) openness of our society, I was able to purchase delicious foreign cuisine, for a reasonable price, from a man of a totally different ethnic, linguistic, and religious background.
Of the myriad gifts afforded to me, being born and raised in the United States — New York City, especially — is by far and away the greatest.
The (classical) liberal project embodied by the US is just, good, and successful. It is a project whose basic tenets can and ought to be accepted by all.