I am blown away (and not in a good way) by the hatred and belittling taking place in this country right now. It is gob-smacking that people are choosing to ignore the contradictions. My worldview may be vastly different from others, but I am taking my stance with Dr. Seuss in that “a person is a person no matter how small.” Have we forgotten that America is the home of immigrants? Just recently, I ordered a DNA kit, spit in a vile, mailed it to a lab, and received a glimpse into my ancestral build. It was no shock that it said I was not 100% blood American, because (news flash), there are only a few people who can claim that. My results did share that I am primarily German and Irish. Some time long ago, my family members, whom I have obviously never met or even really heard about, made the journey to a faraway place to eventually call and secure a home for generations to come. During this Fourth of July and politically charged season, I am once again reflective on the roots of this country and my place in it. Imagine what it could have been like being born into a different country or era of time. Just because some of us were fortunate enough to be born a citizen of the United States of America, it does not warrant us a sense of entitlement. Quite the opposite should happen. Ellis Island welcomed foreign speakers and people who risked it all to have something better. The same thing is happening still today, but the ports of entry look different. Welcoming arms are not there to greet people as they cross the threshold to a new life. Entitlement is the very obstacle that is showing its ugly face and getting in the way of seeing that people just like our ancestors are knocking at the chance of safety and opportunity. I try not to get political and try to keep an objective perspective, but at this point in history and its future impact, I cannot morally remain silent. I have no idea what made my family immigrate from Ireland or Germany. I can only speculate that some sort of turmoil struck, and they left everything to have a better life maybe elsewhere. People came in droves then with no formal paperwork and resettled wherever they wanted to. Now, people are still coming. They may be coming from new places compared to the countries my family and your family came from, but we were welcomed, and I believe we should be welcoming to others. Until you see the fear in another person’s eyes, there is no understanding of the need for entry. I have sat around many tables and shared meals with people who under current conditions would not be allowed here. They were the fortunate ones to make it before the lockdown was set in place. I felt a connection to each of them. Sure, I did not understand every spoken word or remotely recognize what food I was eating, but I did not have to to know they belonged. There was a mutual respect that we shared. I respected the courage and their will to make a better life for them and their families, and they respected me because I acknowledged them for the people they are and welcomed them with open arms. I was as safe with them as I would have been with my own family. There is more to the story. The debate will continue to have the floor. It will rage on as a point of contention between both sides of the aisle. I cannot stand back and watch this play out with hatred fueling the fire. I do not condone people taking advantage of a religious agenda and using the Bible to condemn when if it were read in its entirety, it would go on to tell about loving our neighbors and feeding the hungry. So, I guess playing the holier than thou card goes both ways if that is someone’s argument. Lady Liberty has stood tall and become an emblem for this country. Our freedoms were fought for and won. Hoarding freedom with greedy hearts is hurting this country and everything this country has ever stood for. While I am thankful for my citizenship in the great States of America, I am disappointed that the doors that opened to safety and opportunity for my family have been boarded up restricting entry for others. We can do better; we must be better. Hatred and greed have dimmed the torch that once shown so bright. My hope for the future is that the torch which is held by our Lady Liberty returns to be a welcoming beacon of light. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2018
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
July 2019
|