Yes, yes! You make so many powerful points. We're used to hearing them as political points. You make them even more powerful when you help us seem them not as policies but as Christian mandates.
Another point that can be made is that there was the same fear and hostility toward immigrants and refugees in the past:
At one time, only English-speaking people were thought to belong.
Then came Germans, fleeing from revolutions around 1848.They did not speak English. There were whole Civil War regiments made up of Germans who spoke no English and had to be led by German-speaking colonels or even generals.
And of course, famously, the surge of Irish following Ireland's potato famine. They knew English but were nevertheless persecuted almost as much as Black people. ("No Irish need apply" were common signs.
Then people from Eastern Europe and Russia came and were feared.
There were people of great talent and ability in all of these groups. They contributed to scientific progress, and indeed in progress in every area.
Our nation was enriched by people in all the groups we welcomed.
Thanks, Nancy! We have a great, but also sad history of struggling with accepting people who are different. I'm trying to work on accepting all things that might irritate me, if they're actually harmless. Especially, let's accept and respect all people, regardless of differences, whether looks, tastes or pastimes if these are innocent.
Yes, yes! You make so many powerful points. We're used to hearing them as political points. You make them even more powerful when you help us seem them not as policies but as Christian mandates.
Another point that can be made is that there was the same fear and hostility toward immigrants and refugees in the past:
At one time, only English-speaking people were thought to belong.
Then came Germans, fleeing from revolutions around 1848.They did not speak English. There were whole Civil War regiments made up of Germans who spoke no English and had to be led by German-speaking colonels or even generals.
And of course, famously, the surge of Irish following Ireland's potato famine. They knew English but were nevertheless persecuted almost as much as Black people. ("No Irish need apply" were common signs.
Then people from Eastern Europe and Russia came and were feared.
There were people of great talent and ability in all of these groups. They contributed to scientific progress, and indeed in progress in every area.
Our nation was enriched by people in all the groups we welcomed.
Thanks, Nancy! We have a great, but also sad history of struggling with accepting people who are different. I'm trying to work on accepting all things that might irritate me, if they're actually harmless. Especially, let's accept and respect all people, regardless of differences, whether looks, tastes or pastimes if these are innocent.