Different

The wind is blowing and that means the temperatures will soon be rising. I’m watching the trees in the orchard bending in the breeze and I’m reminded…that I need to wash these windows!

Some random thoughts about the xenophobia that is spreading throughout the land. (Xenophobia: A dislike of foreigners. Tribalism.)

This week, the Senate is working hard on a new immigration bill that will place the Senators firmly in the hearts of their constituents…or so they hope. And I hope it becomes law. I really do. I want those who dislike immigrants so much to have their wishes come true. America for Americans. Send them all back. All of them, with no exceptions! Exceptions would show favoritism and that’s un-American.

No matter how many economists tell us the hard truth; that immigration, legal or illegal…raises the value of an economy, no one wants to hear it. They already have their own version of the “facts” and it doesn’t include uncomfortable ones like that. If removing all of the immigrants will cause a depression of our economy, that’s a small price to pay to get to the truth, right? And one of the first things we need to do is to remove those words found at the base of the statue of Liberty; “Give me your huddled masses, yearning to be free…” There is no sense in being embarrassed while we rid ourselves of those huddled masses.

My own ancestors were both victims and perpetrators in the relentless spread of xenophobia. I’m part Scot; those ancestors were hunted down by the Romans as wild beasts. Extermination was the goal. The “civilized” Anglo-Saxons did the same, massacring them at every opportunity. It was “Ethnic cleansing” before those words became a sad part of our vocabulary. And since I’m part English, I inherit some of the blame. Laurae’s ancestors include some Welsh, another group despised by the English. Do you see a pattern here? The Romans were an empire as were the English. The American’s? Yes, also an empire. The powerful always fear those around them and do their best to demonize them. And when the immigrant has the bad luck to look or act “different” in any way, the xenophobic has a field day! That’s history, look it up.

So, how did you become an American? Did you work really hard at it? Good for you! Or were you simply born here? If it wasn’t simply good luck and you are sure that God placed you here in America; are you properly grateful? Do you thank God every day? Without fail? And if it were God’s design to have you born in…let’s say, Soweto? Would you curse God every day? Hey! It could have happened!

Me? I was just born here. As were my mother and father and some assorted grandparent’s. Lucky me. And I have behaved pretty much like an American ever since. I dislike paying my fair share of taxes and I’m always looking for loopholes. Like 90% of my fellow citizens, I dislike the way government works. I only like to obey laws that I agree with. (65 mph? Are you kidding me?) On Memorial Day I go shopping.

How about some of those ancestors of mine? My paternal grandfather came from Scotland. Legally? Did he ever become a citizen? I have no idea and I really don’t care. He was also thoroughly disliked by his family; abandoning them in California. Yet he is someone that I should be proud of. (A little bit) At some point in his life he decided to risk everything, and abandon all that he knew in Scotland and emigrate. Could I do that today? And great-great- great grandparent’s; they gathered their courage and made the trip away from what was known. They faced the unknown quite bravely. Braver than me and I’m proud of them. I’m also willing to bet that they didn’t always check in with the Immigration Service when making this momentous change. They didn’t wait ten or fifteen years for their name to come to the top of some bureaucrats list.