“Let’s be honest here. Every generation has had its own ugly reaction to refugees, whether they are the Irish, the Vietnamese, the Cubans or the Haitians, and those fears have been broadly unfounded. In fact there was only one time in American history when the fear of refugees wiping everyone out did actually come true and we’ll all be sitting around a table celebrating it on Thursday.” –John Oliver from Facebook
My mother’s family was English. Dad said we were mutts. I don’t have a pedigree because I was born in the cultural melting pot called America, and I’m proud of that.
Once the arrival of Europeans—who took over an already populated land mass with a much better than current people/sq mi—they not only settled but reproduced prolifically and spread to almost every habitable sq inch. America opened her door to the oppressed. Isn’t that what this country is based on? Every new wave of immigrants has suffered and more than paid their dues to follow the “American dream” of freedom for all. Few who live here trace their lineage to the First People. Look at our family trees, from all around the world. Isn’t that cool. Many cultural traditions working to get along, respect each other, and still hang on to a piece of their world. Life is about diversity. Even FB is full of diversity where we can have friends from all over the world.
My mother’s family can be traced back to the 11th century in England before the Loomis family landed on America’s eastern shore in 1638. Back in the 1870s the “Loomis gang” were horse thieves. My maternal grandmother spent much time tracing her husband’s lineage. Presidents John and John Quincy Adams were my ancestors.
My dad said we are mutts. A mixture of he knew not what or where, nor did he care. Maybe Dutch to French Canada then Wisconsin with some Menomonee Nation thrown in. When working on the obligatory 5th grade family tree he told me “The Olmsted family motto is beget them and forget them.” Being that was inappropriate for school I went to the library (way before the internet) and found Frederick Law Olmsted, and claimed him.
Since childhood, even with bigoted parents, I could never understand why some people hate other people because of the color of their skin, religion, sexual orientation, gender… Honestly, I sometimes just don’t get. How can any “God fearing” or accepting person believe any other human—or anything else on this planet—was put here to hate? I figure at some point the American population will eventually be creamy colored from the mix of people.
I’m not going to rant again about politics, but I am asking for all of us to come together in a respectful way and move past bigotry, hate and discrimination. I may not always agree with you but will try to respect your chosen truth. Let’s work together to make this a better world.
What can we do? First, be kind in all acts. Stand up for what you believe in. Get involved. Start with your own family, friends, and community and work up from there. Find support with groups, locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Make sure they are legitimate. Do your homework, be intelligently informed. You don’t have to do this alone.
Fellow blogger Kim, like many of us, is feeling despair with the current state of affairs. However, she’s taken on an approach to spread the love with small acts of kindness with her Yellow Envelopes spreading around the world. You should definitely check it out.
I guess my point is, no matter where in the world you’re from or live, We the People share this Earth and we should do it with respect to all. We’re in this thing together.
Where does your family originate? Do you have a family tree?
Happy Thanksgiving
I am grateful for a great many things – things so numerous I cannot list them all here. The abundance of good things in my life far exceeds the alternative. I’m giving thanks on this day, and hope you will too.
