I’m second generation
on one side; third on the other. When people ask me what I am, I tend to stand
there for a second with a blank expression and say, “Um, American?” before I
realize they want to know where my grandparents and great-grandparents emigrated
from.
That would have been Russia. Because they were Jews, and not
generally loved there they fled to a safer place: America. It wasn’t easy (my
Papa Ike arrived speaking barely any English with little money and fewer
contacts) they survived and most became valuable, if not valued members of society.
(They were still Jewish after all.)
By the time I came along, the Livetens had settled in a liberal
university town in New England. I went
to a school bursting with diversity. My best friends in grade school were a
rainbow of races and religions.
I guess I grew up naïve. Not only did I think everyone had
great museums, art galleries and theater in their towns, but I had little
exposure to racism and religious bigotry.
It was great.
Until the first time I someone called me a kike. At first I didn’t even know what it meant. I’d been called a lot of names - fatso,
shorty, four-eyes. You know, the usuals, but I’d never been attacked for my
beliefs. Especially since I didn’t really know what I believed, being more a
cultural Jew than a practicing one.
Because it didn’t happen to me often, I could shove it to
the back of my mind and move on. But it still occupies real estate there.
Which is just one of the multitude of reasons I’m so
appalled by the current GOP landscape.
Granted, neither Ben “Loosewiththefacts”
Carson or Donald “Imnotaracist” Trump have used the slang words for the people
they hate. They’ve done worse: they encouraged their followers to do so.. And more.
Pro-immigrant activists and Hispanics have been attacked at
Trump rallies. The Donald’s response is that his fans are “enthusiastic.” He says it with a grin. He makes me shudder
with fear.
I don’t think I’m being overdramatic, and I don’t really
care if I am, but that’s what people thought about those nasty Hitler
followers. They were just passionate believers. Wearing ugly brown outfits.
Currently there are a handful of GOP candidates and millions
of registered voters who fervently believe that only straight male Christians
should be President. It is one reason why Obama-haters passionately insist that
he is Muslim. It would be damaging
politically to admit that they hate him because he’s black (or as Rupert
Murdock insinuates, a “bad” black man as opposed to Carson’s “good black man”),
but it’s okay to hate him for his religion.
Silly me. I thought the good ole USA was founded on religious
freedom. It’s in the Constitution. You know, that document that the right wing
likes to quote, but has apparently never read.
This week, just in time for the latest GOP ‘debate’ the
crazies have trotted out their annual “war against Christmas” campaign. It
appears every year about the same time that retailers drag out their holiday
decorations. And like the decorations, it comes out earlier and earlier.
I’ve been hearing clerks and friends wish me a Merry
Christmas since I was old enough to understand. I always assumed that it was a
friendly greeting, a seasonal version of “have a nice day.”
When some people switched to “happy holidays” I didn’t give
it much thought. It’s more inclusive and more, dare I say it, Christian of
them, to acknowledge other people’s celebrations. It was nice.
Apparently I was wrong. It was the sign of the coming apocalypse.
The latest kerfuffle is about Starbucks cups. Apparently the
red and green colors aren’t Christmas-y enough. The old ones had snowflakes and
skates on them, which I didn’t realize were traditional Christian symbols. I’ve
been in a lot of churches over the years and spotted nary a skate or a
snowflake. Maybe they hide them in the back.
I realize that the cup issue is really just a
cover for something far more nasty and insidious.
Maybe I’m still naïve. I honestly believe that my Jewish
grand-nieces and nephews, and my Muslim and Buddist friend’s kids and
grandchildren have a right to be leaders in this country. Just as my LGBT
friends do.
What this cup hysteria has done is make me realize that while
pockets of the country have grown more and more open and accepting there’s a
huge swath of people who are angry at their own failures and problems. Those
people are just looking for a place to plunk the blame.
Those haters zone directly onto folks they see as others:
people with different religions and customs and sexuality. Those haters complain that they are just being
true patriots, and are defending their country from people who would destroy
it.
But isn’t the greatest thing about America that it welcomes
others? Isn’t that what the whole wonderful ‘melting pot’ is supposed to be about?
I thought it was. I hope it is. I believe it is.
As for my celebrations this season? I’m looking for a giant
inflatable rubber duck that lights up at night.
Happy holidays y’all!
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