“Out of Many, One.” But Do We Have One American Identity?

Here’s what you’ll find on today’s show:

— American identity is shifting: from what we look like, to where we worship, to who we love. And so it’s not surprising that for many Americans, those changes create a sense of anxiety. Some feel they are being left behind by a country they thought they knew. Others are excited to chart a new course, to take part in that dream that so many Americans aspire to. The data proves that Americans really do think about these ideals. 2017 figures from the Pew Research Center found that 36% of U.S. adults reported that their family had already achieved the American dream. 46% surveyed said they are “on their way” to achieving it. 

— President Jimmy Carter needs no long-form introduction. Besides being the nation’s 39th Commander-in-Chief, he was the Governor of Georgia, a proud peanut farmer, and a constant advocate for human rights. But at his core and central to everything he’s done throughout his life, Jimmy Carter is a man of faith. And that is the subject of his new book, “Faith: A Journey For All.” The book comes at an interesting moment in this country, in many ways Americans are suffering a crisis of faith in our system of government, our institutions, and our elected leaders. But are these problems really new? 

— Last month, U.N. Secretary General António Guterres decisively declared that Yemen is the “world’s worst humanitarian crisis.” As the war in the country enters its fourth year, more than 22 million people, or three quarters of the country’s population, need humanitarian aid and protection. 18 million people experience food insecurity. The war is often described as “Saudi-led,” but increasingly we’re learning of American involvement. In March at a Senate Armed Services Committee, General Joseph Votel, Commander of U.S. Central Command, described the American role to Senator Tom Cotton as purely “defensive.”