In an era of unprecedented polarization, there are very few public figures who remain beloved by all Americans regardless of their political beliefs or partisan persuasion.
On Tuesday, that list became even shorter by the passing of Dolly Parton, who died at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer. In a nation bitterly divided, the announcement was immediately followed by an outpouring of sadness, shock, and universal grief.
People of all generations and walks of life remembered the same woman, the same songs, the same unmistakable voice, and, perhaps more than anything else, the same extraordinary kindness.
Dolly Parton represented a vision for America that feels like it’s almost been lost forever. She lived by the ideals of generosity, of empathy, of humility, and of tolerance and acceptance towards those around her. Her life, work, and legacy is that of service to those that need it most and of using every tool in her disposal to benefit as many people as she possibly could.
We can’t help but see the contrast between the values she lived by compared to those of Donald Trump and his MAGA lackeys. Today’s Republican Party, in many ways, exists in direct opposition to many of those same values.
Take Donald Trump, for instance. He built his political identity not around empathy and compassion but grievance, vengeance, and division. His hateful rhetoric has led millions of Americans to view their fellow citizens not simply as people they disagree with, but as the enemy. He has often fomented an “us versus them” mentality in the minds of Americans, labeling the immigrant as an invader, the opponent as a traitor, the poor as burdens, the transgender community as a mortal threat, asylum seekers as criminals, and compassion in any form as weakness.
Where Dolly Parton was known for her generosity of spirit and kindness of heart, Trump has made cruelty a central feature of his political identity. He has relished releasing videos of American missiles blowing up fishing boats in the Gulf of Mexico; he’s ignored indiscriminate ICE arrests and killings of legal immigrants, American citizens, and anyone in between; he’s championed tax cuts for the rich while launching a war of choice that has sent your prices sky-rocketing. Where Dolly spent her life looking for ways to give more to people who had less, Trump has preyed on the fears and prejudices of millions of Americans, convincing them that anyone struggling is someone else’s problem.
Perhaps most importantly, where Dolly understood her success presented an opportunity to help others, Trump has spent his life treating success as proof that he – and he alone – is entitled to more.
The difference couldn’t possibly be more stark.
Dolly Parton grew up poor in the mountains of Tennessee. Donald Trump grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth in Manhattan.
Dolly Parton never forgot where she came from, and when she became one of the most successful entertainers in American history, she used that success to make sure other people had opportunities she didn’t. Donald Trump bragged about his ability to not pay workers, get away with sexual assault, and otherwise rig the system in his favor.
Dolly’s Imagination Library has distributed over 300 million free books to children around the world. Trump and MAGA have sought to defund her library and end the very programs that have brought literacy and literature to millions of underprivileged children.
Rather than turn her back on her upbringing, Dolly single-handedly helped revitalize an entire region, injecting hundreds of millions of dollars into the east Tennessee economy through her Imagination Library, Dollywood, and countless other philanthropic pursuits.
Contrast that with, say, JD Vance, who has seemingly shunned his Appalachian roots in favor of helicopter rides on Marine Two to get from one side of Washington to the other for his kid’s sports practice and other assorted private events because taking a car like a mere plebian (in a motorcade, might we add) is far too basic for his new tastes. Oh, and just as an aside, JD, the supposed “son of Appalachia” hasn’t said a word about Dolly’s passing.
For many, Dolly’s death has hit so hard because we feel as though her vision for a better, fairer, more empathetic tomorrow may have passed with her.
It didn’t.
In her life, Dolly’s most valuable contribution was the power of her example. She was a living example of what it looks like to have enormous success without losing sight of the people who have less, of what it means to disagree without hating, of how much good one person can do, and of the age-old saying that love, indeed, is more powerful than hate.
Dolly embodied these truths, but she didn’t own them. They live on in each of us and in our effort each day to put just a little more good into the world than when we woke up. It is incumbent upon us — now more than ever — to take the love Dolly embodied and spread it around the world.
Dolly Parton was a titan, and the world is a little less loving without her in it. At the same time, her passing reminds us of the great promise of America – that anyone can come from anywhere and do anything. That means that we can stop a wannabe fascist dictator and build a future we can all be proud of.
What a complete load of TDS nonsense.