Monday, Aug. 30, 2010

Lorene Garrett-Browder: Don't forget what we stand for

Many who came to America seeking religious and political freedom are now practicing the oppression and terror that they escaped. Those brought to America in irons and chains, as indentured servants and to work the railroads became the targets of hate-filled laws and hate-filled people. We have forgotten that we are a nation of immigrants, except for Native Americans. Many of us continue to struggle with laws that do not see us or understand us and in many cases don't care to.

As a country, we take pride in democratic achievements and struggles for independence, but we must also address how our past and present scapegoats, blames, ignores, denies and victimizes many of our citizens. As a county and as a people we have terrorized, and denied freedoms for many of our citizens, but we don't want to be called terrorist or racist or held accountable for the injustices of our history. Those who perpetrate terrorism want to be able to deny that they are terrorist or racist, but continue to terrorize and dominate others.

We know history is written with omissions, distortions and deletions that only give half the picture. Our history must be a truthful account of what has really taken place, as well as what we must do to improve as a people and as a country.

In addressing the injustices of the past, we can begin to change the injustices of the present. We must address the individuals that fled England for religious freedom, the uprooting and taking of native American's lands, when African Americans were sold as property, how Protestants treated the first Irish immigrants, how Chinese Americans were brought to American to work on the railroads for low wages, anti-Jewish sentiment in America, discrimination toward Mexican and Spanish speaking individuals, the emergence of the klan, the placement of Japanese Americans in internment camps, anti gay and lesbian sentiment and the continuing hostility between ethnic groups. We cannot ignore these events; they cannot be rationalized away. We must be accountable, and hold others accountable. We must be outraged when violence and terrorism happens, and we must give voice to this outrage.

Therefore if we are discussing as a country whether to profile certain groups, and people coming from other countries, should we not profile white people too? Let's not forget our history and Timothy McVeigh among others. To those who say that they want their America back, I ask what America are you speaking of. And to those who want to rewrite history, I ask for what purpose, and to those who want to undo the Civil Rights Movement's achievements. I say that you will try, but there are many of us who remember what America was like before the civil rights movement.

Lorene Garrett-Browder

Los Banos