This year provides an unusual confluence of events.
150 years ago, this past Thursday, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses P. Grant. Which meant that the Civil War, the war between the North and the South, the war between factions in America was “officially” over. But, like our Battle for Independence, the war went on for at least a few more months. There wasn’t instant communication back then- but. more importantly, to my mind, the war is still ongoing.
It’s what’s behind the desire to strip away voting rights from the other (generally the Blacks- like was true in the Civil War, but also the young and the liberal- which could also be considered the vogue back before the Civil War).
As proof that the war was not over, today is the 150th anniversary of the murder of President Abraham Lincoln by a Southern terrorist, John Wilkes Booth, and his terrorist cell. These folks operated no differently than any other terrorist cell that obtains today. (By the way, where were the apologies of the “moderate” Southerners for this terrorist act?)
When I was little, I recognized that the South still was fighting the Civil War. Discriminating against Blacks (and Jews and other minorities, too). When I became a resident of the South, there were more than a few business signs where the map of the US was upside down- clearly because they believe the South had risen again- or was on top in the first place. Senator Byrd and the Massive Resistance meant that schools may have been integrated, but only the poor, the (few) Jews, and the Blacks went to public schools when I first relocated to the region; the Whites went to Christian academies. (Very Christian of them, I might add.)
And, tomorrow is the Holocaust Memorial Day. The 70th year since at least 6 million Jews were killed solely because they were Jewish. Most of those killed were not religious- and a good many were simply the grandchild of a Jew. Because hate is carefully taught.
(Don’t get me started that the Germans near Innsbruck or the Poles near every concentration camp had no idea what was going on next door. If you ever smelled a dead body- or a burned corpse- you would know differently. And, where exactly did they think these minions were disappearing?)
It’s time to recognize discrimination against one group is simply a method to discriminate against all groups. It’s time to insure that we properly educate our children- and the children of the world- to make this place just a little better.
Because we all can live better that way.
I have lived in the South since I was 6 yrs old and in high school I had a teacher who knew where we were all born and terrorized me for 3 years for being a Yankee.
I was a stranger in school also because I was a practicing Jew, daughter, granddaughter, great-granddaughter, great–ad infinitum.
I was considered strange also because I was (and still am) socially inept. Luckily those who know me love me now, no matter what.
When I was in high school, our school integrated. I gravitated to one young person in our music class when I was a Junior. We both sang alto and had to sit in the very front to hear what those who knew how to read music sang behind us. We were friends and I went to her house. I don’t think she came to mine, but neither did most of my friends.
When I was 31, I moved to South Texas where over half the population was Hispanic. I had some of the most wonderful friends there that I had ever had.
I wrote a column for the newspaper in which I got to visit with anyone I chose in their homes or place of business. I asked them if they thought our town was racist. Everyone from every race I spoke to said no, except an old judge who was white who had some hair-raising tales proving to me what I had guessed. Of course, the town was racist. I knew that.
I have been in a religious group in which people of all races all over the world are members. But now I find that this group is opposed to same-sex partnerships and marriage. I don’t know why, except there is some justification in the scriptures (Old and New Testament).
I don’t know when all these exclusions are going to stop if ever. What are terrorists except bullies. Can we teach our children? We can try, but they are in a world that encourages bullying. They seem to find something to look down on people about.
Yes, it would be a great world if all the bullies stopped being such, but don’t count on it anytime soon.
Ann Mullen recently posted..Do You Need a Freelance Writer?
Ah, Ann, all we can do is teach our kids. Show them where they- and others- miss the mark. Eventually it sinks in.
But, to be honest, we all have a few hidden biases- and that hypocrisy in ourselves, that’s what we have to work on. And, when we do that- and share that with our kids, along with our other teachings, so they know (1) no one is infallible and each person is accountable to him/herself [like we just showed them] and, (2) we are all equal…. then the teachings stick and become part of their inner core.