Opinion: Irish Americans should vote for the faith, family, and country candidate

Successive surveys show that the 35 million Americans of Irish heritage value family, faith, love of country, hard work, honesty, and decency.

Who is the candidate for President who most embodies these values? Is it Donald Trump, the failed businessman who went bankrupt six times, the person found liable for sexual abuse and guilty of 34 felony charges, the man who faked medical issues to avoid the draft, the serial liar, and spewer of hate?

Or is it Kamala Harris, who grew up in a working family, became a successful crime fighter, a tough prosecutor of rapists, murderers, and violent gangs, a dedicated public servant as US Senator and Vice President, a person of deep faith, and someone who seeks to unite Democrats and Republicans to govern from the center for ALL Americans? 

Irish Americans should vote for Harris because she knows that there is more that unites us than divides us. 

Kamala Harris will fight for what we all fundamentally value, democracy, fair elections, an America that is the strongest economy in the world, a secure border, reproductive freedom for women, and better paid jobs for those willing to work hard and who achieve the skills to succeed in the knowledge economy.

Looking to Ireland, Kamala Harris is the only candidate with a dedicated committee to address the concerns of Irish Americans. Alex Nason is the National Coordinator for Irish Americans for Harris and there is a national committee from across America that appeals to our values. 

Significantly, the Trump campaign has no such outreach and could care not less about Irish American values or about Ireland. By contrast, the Irish Americans for Harris program is engaging Irish Americans online, through distributed organizing efforts in phone banking, texting, and organizing volunteers on the ground.

Importantly, Kamala Harris and a Democratic Congress will continue to support the Good Friday Agreement against any moves by the British government to water down the obligation to hold a referendum on a united Ireland when a majority North and South support a united Ireland.

As Vice President, Harris pledged her support of that policy. This week in Pittsburgh, a key Democrat, Congressman Richie Neal, who will be Chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee if Democrats win the majority, confirmed at a meeting of Irish Americans that he and a President Harris will support those in Irish America, including the AOH and the Ad Hoc Committee to Protect the Good Friday Agreement, who are pressing for the end of the Northern Ireland Legacy Act and a commitment to an Irish unity referendum when the conditions are met.

The bottom line is that we as Irish Americans should not allow ourselves to be divided by lies, hate, and fear in America or in our homeland. Instead, we must unite to promote our common values

Frankly, it is time to return to an America where we can disagree without being disagreeable, where we value what we have in common, and where we celebrate the achievements and contributions of all our immigrants!

As our coinage says, "E Pluribus Unum" - "Out of Many, One"! 

Vote Harris and the Democratic ticket on November 5 to advance our true unity at home and in Ireland.

*Ted Smyth is a member of the Irish American Committee for Harris, and Chair of the Advisory Board of the Clinton Institute for American Studies in UCD.