This is an opinion column.

Several months ago, less than a week after President Joe Biden announced he would not seek re-election, I reached out to a conservative friend for his perspective on the person who would ascend to the top of the ticket: Vice President Kamala Harris.

Like me, my friend is a man of faith. He’s also a family man, and we share a love for good food, sports and friendship. I was truly interested in his take on Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Here’s his text, sent almost immediately after my query: “I legitimately believe if Harris wins America will not be America before it’s all said and done.”

Well, the script’s been flipped because America certainly ain’t (with apologies to my late mom and aunt, both teachers who didn’t allow “bad English” in their homes) America right now.

An America with a president who doesn’t do anything but undo? That ain’t America.

An America where people are discriminately swept off the street, off their jobs and potentially out of schools and churches based on the color of their skin and their quest for a better life that hasn’t yet been rubber-stamped by our government? That ain’t America.

An America where decades of efforts to eliminate inequities in hiring, pay and access to economic success for African Americans, Hispanics, hell, especially for white women — far and away proportionately, the biggest beneficiaries of diversity, equity and inclusion — is flushed based on fear and lies? That ain’t America..

An America that threatens public and private companies seeking to ensure a safe and equitable workplace for their employees? That ain’t America.

An America that summarily fires thousands of federal workers in a bull-headed attempt to whiteout America? That ain’t America.

An America where children are potentially deprived of an education because of their parents’ citizenship status, as has been proposed in Oklahoma, my home state? That ain’t America.

An America that disregards truth if it doesn’t align with misinformed delusions ain’t? That ain’t America.

An America that closes the spigot of federal money that feeds low-income children, pays the salaries of Head Start teachers, countless more state and local civil workers so much more that is necessary, then lies about it and declares, My bad? That ain’t America.

An America where the president eliminates the cap on the cost of insulin, ensuring Americans will pay more for a life-saving drug they desperately need? That ain’t America.

An America that would even consider undoing negotiated police reform agreements created to ensure people can endure police encounters without losing their lives? That ain’t America.

An America that criminalizes medical professionals and librarians for doing what they’ve been sworn and trained to do — help people? That ain’t America..

An America that doesn’t permit someone to serve their country because of their gender choice when researchers have discovered that numerous women living as men fought in the Civil War? That ain’t America.

An America that fires members of the watchdog Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and National Labor Relations Board because of their party affiliation? That ain’t America.

An America that blames a prescription drug for gun violence yet refuses to support sensible gun laws? That ain’t America.

An America that stops caring about its neighbors, that trumps humanity with hate? That ain’t America.

An America that bullies those who don’t bow? That ain’t America.

An America that does all these things (and isn’t close to being “said and done,” as my conservative friend noted) certainly ain’t the America envisioned by our founding fathers —as flawed as they were in so many ways.

An America where the president taints a national tragedy by blaming it on DEI, for goodness’ sakes? That sure ain’t America.

An America where only white men are deemed qualified? Man, please.

No, America — the America I still steadfastly believe beats in the hearts of most of us — resists such foolishness. Resists authoritarianism. Resists inhumanity. Resists hate.

Resists the undoing — the lynching — of decades of efforts to give all Americans an equal opportunity — not outcomes! — to achieve the dream of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness we all have a right to possess.

Resists attempts to undo the progress America has made—sometimes in fits and starts; two steps forward and a backward stumble — to be the America it was called to be.

The man who won the election did not incite the same fear in my conservative friend that “America will not be America.”

Well, this America certainly ain’t America. So let’s just rename it what it is: Trumpmerica, sitting just north of the Gulf of Ignorance.

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Let’s be better tomorrow than we are today. My column appears on AL.com, and digital editions of The Birmingham News, Huntsville Times, and Mobile Press-Register. Tell me what you think at [email protected], and follow me at twitter.com/roysj, Instagram @roysj and BlueSky.