Lady Liberty

Here we go. Struggling to define freedom. All over again. I thought we had already done this. Didn’t you? So why are we in this struggle today?

The simple answer is: Freedom comes from fighting for it; every day; forces will always exist to limit it so others can gain. The struggle is against greed afraid that someone else will take something away from them. But they already have freedom. Freedom is not divisible. It is whole and for all of us. Why then do they obstruct freedom for all?

This most likely is caused by fear of the unknown, fear of the not understood, and fear of change. They are all of the same fabric. They are one and the same. I seek protection from losing something I do not understand. That seems to be the new mantra of America!

Well, that point truly begs discussion. Examining the elements will help us understand, maybe.

When the Germans emigrated to the US there was resistance to their growing numbers. Soon resident Americans feared their job opportunities would disappear with immigrants begging for jobs at lower pay. Anything to help them get settled and started in America. Yes, resistance to this dynamic was registered and German immigrants remember their family stories well. Same for Irish and Italian immigrants. And Hungarian and South American immigrants, too.

The same can be said for every group of immigrants by nationality as they sought freedom and opportunity in America. Each group felt discrimination. Each worked hard for acceptance. At first they formed their own churches, small grocery stores and service shops (tailor, plumbing, handyman, shoe repair, etc.) so they could talk in their native language comfortably. Slowly they acclimated to America, became bi-lingual, and then fully absorbed into the local culture. It took a generation or two to accomplish this. For those who count the years, that’s 20 to 45 years to span two generations. Young kids learn English quickly when immersed in it. So too grandkids. They become the translators of languages as well as culture. They get it fast and share it with their elders.

This is the face of acculturation in any society and in any land regardless of nationality.

In times of trouble – world war, insurrection faraway, or oppression – America has always opened her arms and welcomed refugees. Yes the numbers taken in at any one time was a problem to be managed. But manage it we did in fits and starts. The right thing was done eventually. Hard feelings were smoothed over and eventually forgiven. Not necessarily forgotten – this is history after all! – but at least people moved on to build their lives and bring a rising tide of success to the land that adopted them.

We are in the midst of world terrorism. Forget the cause of that terrorism. At this point the focus is not on that cause but rather how we handle the effects of it.

People are dying in Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Greece, Africa and in many other regions of the globe. Although America cannot be the queen of all refugees, it can lend a very large hand in accepting and resettling these peoples. It is our history and our nature to do so. It is hospitality any way you cut it.

So accept refugees we will and ought.

In time of world crisis we will need to take care on accepting these people in need. We have done so in the past and we can do so again and again. Developing the proper methods to protect all concerned is the question of the moment. We have talent and assets to devote to this task. It is a big job but not insurmountable.

Please, remove the political stigma and accept the human compassion. We can be both careful and compassionate. All we need to do is the job itself.

Heavy handed policies don’t work well; those making them need to soften the approach and let talented administrators tackle the tasks. Stipulate the outcome you desire, and let others work to make that happen.

Meanwhile be kind with all incoming peoples. They need comfort and support and love. They need to feel accepted. This will cost time and money but we have both in abundance. The reward will be a stronger nation with more talent and more ability to compete with the rest of the globe to extend prosperity for all.

Now is not the time to be stingy. Now is the time to extend our hearts and welcome.

February 2, 2017